If the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority's (MMRDA) proposed plan to connect Western Express Highway (WEH) to Eastern Express Highway (EEH) by a monorail comes through, commuters will be able to breeze over the traffic congested arteries that connect the two major roads.

The project is still in the planning stage and MMRDA is likely to commence construction on this project in October this year. The monorail is likely to run over important roads like Link Road in the western suburbs and LBS Marg on the eastern side.

Ratnakar Gaikwad, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA said, "These routes linking both the express highways will improve the east-west connectivity, which till now has been a major problem for Mumbaikars."

In addition, the pillars for the monorail are slender and don't occupy much space on the roads. "A monorail will get easy clearance from the Railways. Moreover there wouldn't be any problems of space as the width of monorail's structure is quite sleek," added Gaikwad.

MMRDA is currently identifying construction sites and will then proceed with the designs for the pillars.

The entire length of this monorail would be around 15 kms.

BEST partners

The BEST will be hand in glove with MMRDA in running the monorail. BEST bus depots will be used as stations for the monorail. Even commercial complexes like shops and restaurants will be built above the monorail station. BEST buses will utilise the space under the monorail station for parking.

MMRDA has also decided to construct monorails on three routes namely Chembur-Mahul-Chembur (10 kms), Lokhandwala Complex to Kanjurmarg (10 kms) and Malabar Hill to Bandra Kurla Complex (25 kms).

Other monorail projects

l Lokhandwala Complex to Kanjurmarg (10 kms)

l Malabar Hill to Bandra Kurla Complex (25 kms)

l Chembur - Mahul -Chembur (10 kms)