2.2km flyover is the only option: Expert

No matter what renowned singer Lata Mangeshkar has to say on the Peddar Road flyover issue, transport expert RC Sinha believes it is essential to ease the traffic congestion in the city.

“The 2.2-km-flyover—from National Sports Authority (NSA) grounds at Worli to Wilson College at Chowpatty—will be the main traffic reliever for even those coming from central Mumbai, particularly at the Haji Ali interchange,’’ Sinha added.

Sinha has a dual reason to make the assertion. Now, about 90 per cent of the traffic from Haji Ali to Nariman Point takes the shorter Peddar Road route.

Therefore, with increased traffic volume, the flyover needs to come up. Also, it was during his tenure as vice-chairman of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation in 1996-97 that plans were drawn up to construct the Peddar Road flyover.

Part of a blueprint of 55 flyovers to be constructed in the city by the then Shivshahi Government at an estimated cost of Rs1,800 crore, two separate routes, were drawn to construct the flyover.

Though a concept note of how the flyover was prepared, the MSRDC could not go ahead with the construction following objections from residents at Tardeo and Peddar Road.

A state-appointed committee under professor of civil engineering SL Dhingra with the Indian Institute of Technology ruled out construction of flyover along Tardeo.

“Apart from the buildings located barely two feet away, the route has many curves difficult for vehicles to manouver. In addition, we had no map pointing out the water pipelines, sewage system beneath the Tardeo Road. As compared to this, the committee found the Haji Ali to Wilson college route  straighter,’’ said Sinha.

When pointed out about the pollution aspect, Sinha said, “The flyover will reduce pollution and congestion by half. Pollution levels at Sion flyover revealed a 40 per cent drop in pollution levels. In case of Peddar Road,  the flyover will have four lanes for traffic above and four lanes below, the entire stretch as JJ flyover will gain four lanes leaving no chance for traffic jams. We are virtually doubling the capacity.”

He said the MSRDC had received similar objections to the Sion flyover from residents citing pollution. But the same were resolved when authorities threatened to demolish illegal balconies residents had constructed.

“Though there is no such illegality in case of Peddar Road, the residents’ objections do not hold merit. Those who oppose the flyover use other flyovers to commute across the city in their cars,” he added.

Interestingly, the MSRDC was also exploring a third option of constructing a flyover connecting Haji Ali to Wilson College at Chowpatty via Warden Road.

The plan was later dropped as the route again had lot of curves at Teen Bhatti junction at Grant Road.

SL Dhingra of IIT-Powai said the sealink would offload huge volumes of traffic at Haji Ali.

“As the sealink will enable motorists to reach Haji Ali in less than a third of the time taken now, the traffic volume will increase manifold,” he said.