Double jeopardy

Day-2 of the work to repair the sewer lines at Peddar Road saw no major traffic snarls with motorists enjoying a smooth ride along the arterial road.

Day of reckoning : Brace for effects of sewer repair,flyover demolition

Day-2 of the work to repair the sewer lines at Peddar Road saw no major traffic snarls with motorists enjoying a smooth ride along the arterial road. However,with the weekend ending,residents feel Monday morning would be the real test of the elaborate preparations made by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the traffic department to prevent chaos on the stretch.

As of now the traffic is normal. We were quite surprised how fast they are going with the work. So far they have removed about 6 feet of old pipeline and have cracked open some other parts in the area. Though the work is on in full swing,on Monday the real test begins, said the president of Peddar Road Residents Association (PRRA),Veena Singhal.

With the Lalbaug flyover demolition worktoo set to begin on Monday,citizens are anticipating trouble.

The blocking of the Lalbaug stretch of the arterial Dr Ambedkar Road will also affect north-bound traffic from Bhulabhai Desai Road,though traffic experts and officials maintained that as the month of May sees almost 10 per cent to 15 per cent less traffic in Mumbai,traffic pile-ups should be manageable. Enough thought has been given to the present Peddar Road plan. Even if there are some traffic snarls,they will be localised and confined to narrow areas, said transportation expert Sudhir Badami.

Everyone is obeying the rules this time as we dont want a repeat of the chaos seen in March. We have asked residents of Gamadia junction not to park vehicles outside. Also we will equip ourselves well in the coming days to handle any emergencies. The traffic police at the Gamadia junction are being very cooperative, said Singhal.

According to Badami,areas like Gamadia Road,Bhulabhai Desai Road and Breach Candy will be devoid of major traffic snarls as they are wide roads. In any case,vacation time sees a significant drop in overall traffic. So,despite these two works going on simultaneously,it should not create any major hassle, said Badami.

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Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) officials carrying out the Lalbaug flyover demolition work feel the same. All (school,college) examinations are over and vacation time sees less traffic. We want to complete the demolition before monsoon and festival season start. Had we delayed the work this time,the whole project would have unnecessarily been delayed by a year, said an MMRDA official not wishing to be named.

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