Changing City: Access control road project to decongest Mumbai’s Eastern, Western express highways; BMC starts work on new U-turn flyover at BKC connector
The project seeks to facilitate traffic movement between Dadar, BKC, and Wadala.
3 min readMumbaiUpdated: Feb 13, 2026 07:36 PM IST
Work underway along Eastern Express Highway on the BKC connector where the BMC is constructing a U turn bridge as a part of the access control road project. (Photo credit - BMC/Express Photo)
To ease congestion along the Eastern and Western Express highways, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has initiated works on its ambitious access road project, which seeks to separate traffic levels through a series of underground tunnels and flyovers. While the originally mooted plan sought to construct tunnels at nine locations, the BMC has now cut down the scope of works at three congested junctions of the arterial routes.
At present, BMC has commenced construction of a new ‘U-turn bridge’ at the BKC connector along the Eastern Express Highway.
What is the access control road project?
With the idea of reducing wait time at traffic signals, the BMC charted the concept of an access control project to implement a ‘grade separation’ mechanism at heavily congested junctions along the Western Express Highway and the Eastern Express Highway. First proposed in 2023, the idea was to separate traffic into two separate levels by the construction of tunnels and flyovers. While the initial proposal was aimed at constructing tunnels at nine junctions, the BMC later revised the plan to take up works at four junctions.
Earlier in January 2025, the BMC also cancelled plans for an underpass at Hanuman Road junction near the airport, bringing the scope of the project down to three junctions.
Work underway along the Eastern Express Highway on the BKC Connector where the BMC is constructing a U-turn bridge as part of the access control road project. (Photo credit – BMC/Express Photo)
Scope of works
At present, the BMC will implement the access control road project at three junctions along EEH and WEH. These include:
1) A ‘U-turn’ bridge along the Eastern Express Highway at the BKC connector
2) An underpass at Milan Subway along the WEH
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3) An underpass at the Sudhir Phadke flyover of Dahisar along the WEH
Deleted work: Construction of an underpass at Hanuman Road near the airport along the WEH. The project was cancelled owing to space constraints flagged by MMRDA over its proposed underpass in the area.
Details of work initiated at present
While work along the Western Express Highway is yet to take off, the civic body has initiated works for a new flyover along the Eastern Express Highway, where a new ‘U-turn bridge’ is coming up at the BKC connector. The project seeks to facilitate traffic movement between Dadar, BKC, and Wadala.
At present, the BMC has completed work on constructing 120 of 170 piles, while pile caps have been installed at 9 of 79 locations. Meanwhile, work on 5 out of a total of 79 piers has been completed so far.
Timeline for the flyover at BKC connector: March 2027
Administration speaks
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“We have already started construction work on the BKC connector along the Eastern Express Highway. The work on WEH is yet to commence owing to the significant congestion along the lane, where construction work may hamper commuters. However, we have already received permission to start work on the subway near the Sudhir Phadke flyover in Dahisar in September 2025. We have already initiated work on the augmentation of the drainage adjacent to this Dahisar subway. Once this project is complete, it will enable commuters to bypass the congested lanes through this alternate network of carriageway,” a senior BMC official told The Indian Express.
Nayonika Bose is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau. While in the early stages of her career, her focused reporting on local governance and community welfare already demonstrates clear Expertise and Trustworthiness in covering essential civic issues impacting Mumbai's residents.
Expertise & Authority (E-E-A-T)
Specialized Focus: Nayonika's reporting is dedicated to civic and community issues, providing readers with highly relevant, ground-level information about the functionality and administration of India's largest metropolitan area.
Core Coverage Areas: Her articles highlight a strong focus on the fundamental quality of life and public safety in Mumbai, including:
Civic Infrastructure: Reports on critical failures and initiatives related to public works, such as the recurring problem of unauthorized building collapses in Navi Mumbai, the construction of new infrastructure projects (like the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road and the Mahalaxmi cable-stayed bridge), and the maintenance of essential city services (e.g., manhole cover theft).
Urban Governance & Crisis Management: Provides detailed coverage of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) response to major crises, particularly during the monsoon (e.g., heavy rainfall, water cuts, and public health concerns like dengue and malaria) and large-scale public safety incidents (e.g., the hoarding collapse fallout).
Community Welfare & Rights: Reports on key social issues, including the financial aid scheme for persons with disabilities, the struggles of Mumbai's hawkers protesting eviction drives, and the dangers faced by workers due to the continuation of manual scavenging in water tanks.
Cultural & Heritage Reporting: Covers significant community stories, including the restoration of British-era fountains and the history of institutions like the 126-year-old Chinchpokli cemetery, showing a breadth of interest beyond pure administration.
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Work underway along the Eastern Express Highway on the BKC Connector where the BMC is constructing a U-turn bridge as part of the access control road project. (Photo credit – BMC/Express Photo)