MMR gets new traffic decongestion plan
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has approved construction of six flyovers and an underpass in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to decongest traffic in the city.
While the Santacruz Chembur Link Road (SCLR) and Eastern Freeway have provided another East-West link in the city, partially decongesting the Sion-Dharavi link road, there are several bottlenecks on these roads. The two ends of SCLR roads are clogged during peak hours creating nasty traffic snarls. Besides congestion at Chheda Nagar, encroachments on the Kurla-Kalina stretch and build-ups towards the turn at Bandra Kurla Complex and the Western Express Highway are known to regularly slow down traffic. Similarly, commissioning of the Eastern Freeway has also led to traffic bottlenecks on the P D’Mello road.
Construction of six flyovers approved
The executive committee of MMRDA has recommended to the authority road network improvement project to rid the traffic chaos being created by the innumerable vehicles assimilating at Chheda Nagar from the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road and the Eastern Freeway. Both these roads provide hassle-free traffic movement only to be slowed down at Chheda Nagar, Ghatkopar-East.
The first three-lane flyover will be 680 metre in length from Sion towards Thane, running parallel to the existing three-lane flyover. It is estimated to cost Rs 57.66 crore.
The second flyover, costing Rs 94.39 crore, is a 1,240-metre-long flyover of two lanes that will run above the existing Chedda Nagar flyover and carry traffic coming from Navi Mumbai towards Thane.
The MMRDA will also construct a 650-metre long road of two lanes to connect Chheda Nagar to the Amar Mahal junction flyover, which in turn takes vehicles on the SCLR. This cost of this road is pegged at Rs 52.28 crore.
The rest of the three flyovers and an underpass is planned to come up in the Navi Mumbai region of MMR. The locations are Larsen & Toubro Junction on Shil Phata-Mahape Road, between Ghansoli Naka and Talawali Naka, on Savita Chemicals Naka, and an underpass at Mahape Junction on Thane-Belapur Road. The estimated total cost of these four projects is pegged at Rs337.85 crore.
Impact on real estate
Homes and offices located in the proximity of transportation infrastructure command a premium because of the increased accessibility. The Eastern Freeway and Santacruz-Chembur Link Road have changed the way Mumbai commutes and propelled real estate development in neighbouring areas. Their further decongestion will improve connectivity and spur real estate growth in the areas connected by these infrastructure projects.
The Mumbai Eastern Freeway is a 16.8 km- long highway designed especially for high-speed vehicular traffic constructed between Fort in South Mumbai and Eastern Express Highway in Ghatkopar. It is a signal-free stretch of land and has cut down travel time between Shivaji Chowk in Chembur and Mumbai CST by 25-30 minutes The Eastern Freeway led to prices zooming in the Wadala-Sewri belt and turned Chembur into a gateway to Navi Mumbai and South Mumbai. “Due to the reduced commuting time to South Mumbai, demand for commercial and residential properties went up, and housing prices in locations such as Chembur and Ghatkopar increased by approximately 28–30 per cent over the last two years,” says Nikhil Bhatia, Co-head – Capital Markets India & Head West India, CBRE South Asia.
India’s first double-decker flyover, Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) has provided much-needed East-West connectivity in Mumbai. Starting from Vakola Junction on Western Express Highway (WEH) and extending up to Amar Mahal Junction near the Eastern Express Highway (EEH), the 6.45 km six-lane road was thrown open to commuters last year. “Reduced traffic congestions at Amar Mahal Junction in Chembur, Vakola in Santacruz, parts of Sion and Kurla in Eastern Suburbs, will increase the liveability quotient of these areas and boost demand for commercial as well as residential real estate. The overall development potential of areas near the access points of SCLR in terms of residential, retail and commercial projects will also shoot up,” says Ramesh Nair, COO-Business, Jones Lang LaSalle India.
Multi-modal corridor to be developed
The executive committee of MMRDA also approved the detailed project report for a multi-modal corridor from Navghar to Chirner, the first phase of the ambitious Virar-Alibaug corridor. It agreed to appoint consultants to conduct a techno-economic feasibility for the Thane-Kalyan-Bhiwandi region to study its traffic.
According to UPS Madan, Commissioner, MMRDA, all the projects underline the priority given to transport and communication as far as the city is concerned. Connectivity will remain the center of all or any infrastructure development, for, that is the need of the hour
The executive committee gave its nod to appoint consultants to conduct techno-economic feasibility study and detail project report for the sub region of Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan including the region’s traffic habits and demand for public transport. The detail project report for the Navghar to Chirner multi-modal corridor has also been approved as this corridor could become the backbone of connectivity to Mumbai what with it connecting with NH-8, Bhiwandi bye-pass, NH-3, NH-4, NH-4B, Mumbai-Pune Expressway, NH17 and will develop growth centers at Virar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Dombivli, Panvel and Uran.
