Relief for pedestrians as amenity is finally built at JVLR after this paper highlights the issue; On Monday afternoon, mid-day visited the Jogeshwari–Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) between Seepz village and the Aarey JVLR Metro station
The footpath that has been constructed on JVLR near Aarey Metro Station (Metro Line 3). Commuters were earlier forced to walk right in the middle of traffic. Pic/Nimesh Dave
Seven months after mid-day reported the lack of pedestrian space outside the Metro 3 station at Aarey on JVLR, the authorities have finally built a footpath along the eastbound stretch, offering much-needed relief to pedestrians who earlier had to walk on the road and risk their lives.
On Monday afternoon, mid-day visited the Jogeshwari–Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) between Seepz village and the Aarey JVLR Metro station. We found that while a significant portion of the footpath has been constructed, some sections remain incomplete. Daily commuters say the unfinished stretches must be completed urgently and that the entire area needs proper lighting after dark.
The elevated Metro line from Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli, currently under construction, passes through this section. Locals have long alleged that the space below the Metro corridor is poorly lit, and footpaths along the eastbound stretch between Seepz and Aarey JVLR Metro station had been in disrepair due to ongoing construction.
Construction material occupies a footpath near the Aarey JVLR Metro station in Jogeshwari. Pic/Nimesh Dave
Abhishek Ramesh Patil, Yuva Sena Mumbai coordinator of the Shiv Sena (UBT), said, “There’s still a stretch of the footpath that is incomplete, forcing people to walk on the road, raising the risk of accidents. MMRDA, which is building the elevated Metro here, must complete the remaining work and install adequate street lights.”
During our visit, we observed that while one section of the footpath is complete, another ends abruptly near the Aarey JVLR Metro station. In other areas, construction is happening in patches. With electrical work underway alongside the path, concreting has paused — likely due to the looming monsoon.
“The work has stopped because we missed the deadline. Since electrical work is still pending, it doesn’t make sense to finish concreting now — they’ll have to dig it up again. This will now resume only after the monsoon,” said Vinod Trivedi, a worker at the site.
One of the incomplete patches includes an open drain, which, even though barricaded, remains accessible. In low light, it could be dangerous. “I walk here daily. It doesn’t feel unsafe, but it’s inconvenient because we’re still forced onto the road,” said pedestrian Snehal Shelar.
Commuters are also frustrated by the poor road infrastructure. “What do we pay taxes for if we still have to walk on the road because the footpath isn’t complete?” asked Dr Redkar, who was visiting her daughter at IIT-Bombay.
mid-day had first reported this issue on October 9, 2024, in a report headlined ‘Allow access to Metro 3 via car depot, say commuters’. The report highlighted the absence of street lights along the footpath, forcing pedestrians to walk on the road after exiting the Metro. At the time, there were no rickshaws available either — only a BEST bus stop a few metres away.
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