In addition to the other areas along the way, the project will serve neighborhoods including Grant Road, Nana Chowk, Napeansea Road, Pedder Road, Altamount Road, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Tardeo, and Bombay Central.
As part of efforts to improve connectivity and reduce traffic congestion, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to build a 5.6 km elevated road in Mumbai.
The road will link the southernmost point of the Eastern Freeway with Grant Road.
The objective of the proposed elevated road is to establish a network of arterial roads connecting entire South Mumbai, which would help to avoid traffic jams and gridlocks.
This connection is expected to significantly reduce travel time between the Northern areas of South Mumbai and the Eastern Freeway, from a current duration of 30 to 50 minutes to just five to seven minutes.
The Eastern Freeway became operational in 2014 and has been instrumental in decongesting traffic and reducing travel time between South Mumbai and eastern suburbs.
The 17-km-long high-speed highway connects the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) in Chembur with P D Mello Road in South Mumbai, near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).
However, as soon as the freeway ends in P.D. Mello Road, vehicular congestion begins as there are no additional roads available for the vehicles to proceed smoothly towards downtown Mumbai.
P Velrasu, additional municipal commissioner (Projects), said that the new elevated road will originate from P D Mello Road and will run till Grant Road on the western side by traversing through the J J Flyover.
Further as per a report by The Indian Express, he stated, “This elevated corridor has been planned as a universal project and will not be an extension of the freeway. At present, there is no alternate route available at the freeway drop point in P.D. Mello Road and those who have to travel towards Grant Road, Malabar Hill or Girgaon have to go through Marine Drive. This flyover will provide direct connectivity and play a key role in removing traffic blockage near P.D. Mello Road and Colaba.”
In addition to the other areas along the way, the project will serve neighborhoods including Grant Road, Nana Chowk, Napeansea Road, Pedder Road, Altamount Road, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Tardeo, and Bombay Central.
Furthermore, this proposed segment will also support the increase in vehicular traffic flow in South Mumbai, when the dispersal arm of the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link Road (MTHL) will be linked to the Eastern Freeway.
This will add more vehicles to the traffic load, not only from Mumbai but also from Navi Mumbai.
The BMC has already conducted a traffic analysis and designed the flyover with three lanes. The 5.6 km long elevated road has been divided into four packages and has an estimated cost of Rs 743.28 crore.
The BMC is expected to complete the project in three years.