Traffic movement along Mumbai’s Western Express Highway and adjoining roads could be affected after the monsoon as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) prepares to undertake repair and noise-barrier work on two important flyovers in the western suburbs.
The civic body has floated a tender estimated at Rs 46.04 crore, excluding GST, covering the Balasaheb Thackeray flyover, also known as the Jogeshwari South Road Over Bridge (ROB), and the MTNL flyover in Goregaon West.
The 2.2-km Jogeshwari South ROB connects Jogeshwari West near Swami Vivekanand Road with Jogeshwari East and the Western Express Highway. Opened to traffic in 2015, the flyover is now due for substantial structural intervention following an audit by IIT-Bombay.
A senior civic official told mid-day, “MMRDA has started work on construction of the extensions to the bridge and has asked BMC to conduct a structural audit of the existing flyover. Since the time of its inauguration in 2016-17, no work has been carried out on this bridge.”
The proposed repairs include resurfacing, replacing expansion joints and bearings, strengthening structural steel components, anti-corrosion treatment and other structural works. Noise barriers will also be installed.
The repairs are scheduled between October and December 2026, with the civic administration aiming to complete them quickly to limit their impact on traffic.
“Work will be carried out quickly between October and December to minimise traffic snarls,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the 450-metre MTNL flyover in Goregaon West will receive noise barriers under the same tender. Structural repairs are not currently proposed for this bridge.
A senior civic official told mid-day, “Since piling work is going on on either side of the MTNL flyover, we are only installing noise barriers. The flyover was earlier slated for demolition, but the decision has been stayed. So we have decided to go ahead with the planned work and install the noise barriers.”
The barriers will be installed after piling activities linked to the Coastal Road North project are completed. With both projects expected to overlap with post-monsoon traffic, motorists using these western-suburb corridors may experience temporary restrictions and slower movement.
Source: Mid-day
