Mumbai: BMC wants MMRDA to handle Bal Thackeray flyover extension work

The project involves taking the flyover till Lokhandwala at Andheri West and up to Poonam Nagar at Jogeshwari East. Pic/Anurag Ahire

The civic body has sought cost estimates from MMRDA for the extension of Bal Thackeray flyover at Jogeshwari. The project has been stuck for the past five years owing to Metro Line VI - Vikhroli to Lokhandwala - having the same alignment.

The project involves taking the flyover till Lokhandwala at Andheri West and up to Poonam Nagar at Jogeshwari East. Once operational, it will cut the travel time to these places by over half an hour to just 10 minutes.

Earlier, the corporation and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority wanted to carry out the works in their own ways, but the BMC feels MMRDA should handle both projects for speedy execution and to save costs.

While pillars have already started to come up on the route, the BMC says they can host both the projects on them.

The flyover work involves infringement, where the two projects run on the same pillar, and exfringement, where the pillars are different and projects run parallel to each other, with the Metro VI at various locations. The Metro line VI and Bal Thackeray flyover extension are on the same pillars at a height distance of about 8 to 10 meters from each other. Satish Thosar, deputy chief engineer of BMC's Bridge department, said, "We have proposed that the work be carried out by MMRDA and are awaiting their response." With the pillars coming up along the route, there was a fear that the MMRDA would go ahead with its own plan, sources in BMC said the development body has kept in mind the flyover extension work and has raised pillars that are tall enough to host both projects.

A senior civic official said, "We cannot cancel the extension plans as the flyover is already extended partly on the east and west side of Jogeshwari. If it is not completed, it will be an eyesore for the area. Since the MMRDA will be carrying out the work wherever the pillars are the same for the flyover extension, it will be beneficial and cost effective for one agency to carry out the entire work."

New engineering marvel

For the first time, Mumbai will witness an engineering marvel with three infrastructure projects rising on the same pillar at the junction of Infiniti Mall at Lokhandwala on Link Road. The first level will have a flyover, the second will hold the Metro Line IIA and third level will be Metro Line VI. However, it is still unclear when the project will be complete considering the complexities involved. The three decks will be at a vertical distance of about 8 to 10 meters from each other. Further, where the exfringement of the bridge takes place, the flyover extension and the Metro Line VI will go above the Metro Line VII (Dahisar East to Andheri East) and Western Express Highway as the two projects run parallel to each other.