Decongesting express highways: BMC plans underground network at 9 junctions
Speaking to The Indian Express, senior civic officials said the project aims to implement “grade separation” mechanism at heavily congested junctions of the WEH and the EEH, by introducing underground lanes enabling reduction of wait time at traffic signals and ease traffic.
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As part of the project, the civic body will construct underground tunnels, subways and horizontal roads akin to an underpass to enable vehicles to cross roads and take U-turns, beneath the ground, officials said. (File) In a bid to eliminate congestion and waiting time at traffic signals, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning an “access road” project to build an array of underground tunnels and horizontal roads to separate traffic in two levels at nine key junctions of the Western Express Highway (WEH) and the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) at an estimated cost of Rs 2,900 crore.
Speaking to The Indian Express, senior civic officials said the project aims to implement “grade separation” mechanism at heavily congested junctions of the WEH and the EEH, by introducing underground lanes enabling reduction of wait time at traffic signals and ease traffic. As part of the project, the civic body will construct underground tunnels, subways and horizontal roads akin to an underpass to enable vehicles to cross roads and take U-turns, beneath the ground, officials said.
In the first phase of the project, the civic body has taken up works at nine simple junctions of which three are situated on the Western Expressway and five on the Eastern Expressway. As per BMC data, the three WEH junctions include ones near Parle Hanuman Road, Sudhir Phadke Flyover and Milan Subway, while six junctions of the EEH are Airoli Junction, JVLR Powai junction, Ghatkopar junction, Chheda Nagar junction as well as U-turn junctions at Kanjurmarg and BKC Connector Extension.
Of the estimated Rs 2,900 crore, the project has allocated Rs 2,000 crore for the aid construction works at EEH junction, while Rs 900 crore hasbeen reserved for works along the junctions at WEH.
Senior officials added that they have already started examining more complex junctions where works will be undertaken in the second phase.
Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) P Velrasu told The Indian Express, “At the junctions of the WEH and EEH, the traffic comes to a halt due to signals. To prevent vehicle pile-up at such intersections, we have identified nine junctions on the WEH and the EEH where we will separate traffic into two levels via a cut-and-cover tunnel or an underground loop. It will ensure that the traffic doesn’t intersect and enable continuous flow of vehicles. Once underground, the vehicles will also be crossing the lanes, below the road.”
“At the simple junctions, we will either have a cut and cover tunnel one level below or a loop which will allow the commuter to take a U – turn on an underground level. It will come up on the other side and merge with the other road. People won’t have to wait at the traffic signals,” he said, adding that since the vehicles will arrive from below the road, the movement of the vehicles on the other lane will also remain uninterrupted.
Responding to questions on the second phase, Velrasu maintained that while the nine junctions identified in current phase are relatively simple, the civic body has already started exploring more complex junctions of the highways, where work will be taken up in Phase II. “For the second phase, we are looking at four-five complicated junctions, which have many intersections, at WEH and one junction on the EEH.” The civic body will issue tenders on the access control project by the end of this month.
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