Motorists plying towards Bandra will face traffic jams for the next three months, as authorities speed up construction of metro railway bridge passing over the flyover
Motorists plying towards Bandra will face traffic jams for the next three months, as authorities speed up construction of metro railway bridge passing over the flyover
Motorists and pedestrians are in for a harrowing time, as the crucial junction below the Andheri flyover will be witnessing heavy traffic congestion for the next three months. 
No Entry: Heavy vehicles are not allowed on the Jog Flyover on Western
Express Highway in Andheri (East), as the metro rail work of the bridge
is in progress. Pic/RANE ASHISH
Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL) and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) have closed the southbound lane of the Western Express Highway (WEH) flyover to heavy vehiclesu00a0-- trucks, BEST and private busesu00a0-- due to the ongoing construction of the metro railway bridge passing over the flyover.
With the closing down of the 11.07 km southbound lane for heavy vehicles, traffic that already moves at a snail's pace between Goregaon and Andheri will further decelerate movement of vehicles going towards Bandra.
In addition, the junction below the flyover, which connects to the industrial hub of Sakinaka that is already choked due to the ongoing metro rail construction, will see more overcrowding.u00a0
To add to the welter, there are chances that the northbound lane going towards Borivli might get closedu00a0-- this is sure to create more discomfort.
Earlier this year, MiD DAY had first reported ('Metro trouble for Andheri flyover?' February 17) on how traffic blocks may be put in place on the highway near Andheri, as construction work is due to begin on a cable-stayed bridge for the metro rail.
Officialspeak
MMRDA Joint Project Director Dilip Kawatkar said, "The southbound lane of Andheri flyover will remain closed for heavy vehicles for a period of three months, as the work of the cable-stayed bridge passing over WEH and flyover is in progress." When asked about the traffic jams that will be created during morning peak hours as the frequency of public transport and private buses going towards South Mumbai is high, Kawatkar said, "We regret the inconvenience that will be caused to the commuters traveling. In order to avoid any kind of traffic jams we have deployed private guards at the spot who will enable smooth movement of vehicles."
MMOPL and MMRDA have plans to initiate three traffic blocks on the Andheri flyover, wherein the entire traffic will be stopped. Confirming the same, an MMRDA official, requesting anonymity, said, "We will need three traffic blocks while casting the metro rail bridge segment. That won't, however, have any impact on traffic as work will be carried out during the night."
About the cable-stayed bridge
At present, around 80 per cent of the work on the bridge has been completed. The metro rail will pass over the Jog Flyover in Andheri (East) at a height of 6.4 metres. It has a total length of 175 metres and is 21 metres above the ground.
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