Kalyan Phata has become one of the most congested traffic junctions in the Thane region, leaving commuters spending hours negotiating a stretch of barely four kilometres. Connecting Thane, Navi Mumbai and the Kalyan-Dombivli belt, the junction has even earned the nickname ‘Strait of Hormuz’ on social media because of its notorious daily traffic jams.
The congestion has developed over nearly 25 years as residential projects expanded across Kalyan, Dombivli and Shil Phata, while road infrastructure failed to keep pace. The junction brings together Kalyan-Shil Road, Thane-Panvel Road and Shil-Mahape Road. It also handles heavy vehicles travelling from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) towards Nashik, Gujarat and other destinations.
During peak hours, traffic queues extend up to six kilometres towards Katai Naka, Mumbra Reti Bunder and Dahisar-Mori. Ongoing Metro construction, incomplete land acquisition, road narrowing and the movement of construction vehicles have further aggravated the situation. Residents say the lack of alternative routes affects office-goers, students, senior citizens and patients.
Local residents and political representatives have demanded restrictions on heavy vehicles during morning and evening peak hours. Traffic police have also taken action against violations, booking 124 offenders and seizing vehicles, particularly two-wheelers travelling on the wrong side.
Thane Traffic Police Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Shirsat said, “Kalyan Phata and the Shil-Kalyan, Shil-Panvel stretch is more than a traffic issue. It’s a vicious circle that involves public transport, hawkers, road conditions and streamlined engineering. It requires multiple-agency collaboration and coordination. Since traffic policemen are visible to people, they blame the traffic police for the gridlock here. This is not fair.”
Relief could emerge from several infrastructure projects. The Metro and Palava flyover are expected to be completed within a year. The JNPA-Delhi Expressway and Virar-Alibaug Multimodal Corridor are also expected to divert heavy vehicles away from congested city roads, improving regional connectivity.
Source: Hindustan Times
