Eastern Freeway cut short due to green concerns

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) ambitious project connecting South Mumbai to Ghatkopar through the Eastern Freeway has received a setback. The project that was to start from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralaya (The Prince of Wales Museum) in Colaba to Eastern Express Highway (EEH) near Ghatkopar would be now be short-terminated at Mankhurd owing to environmental concerns.

MMRDA’s Chief Engineer Shriniwas Nandargikar said that the agency had not received environmental clearance for the stretch between Ghatkopar and Mankhurd leading to the termination of the road at Mankhurd. Taking the road to Ghatkopar would also involve rehabilitating of families living along this stretch and clearing of mangroves on the stretch. The deadline for the project,part of the Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project (MUIP),was April 2010 but it has been extended to August 2011. It is also one of the most delayed components of the MUIP.

The freeway starts at the museum,passes along Shahid Bhagatsingh Marg and Wadi Bundar and enters Mumbai Port Trust areas and finally joins EEH via Anik Panjarpol Link Road. The road has been divided into two — one from the Museum to Anik depot and second from Anik to Panjarpol without passing through the congested areas like the Suman Nagar junction and Chembur naka. The Anik-Panjarpol Link Road also had a 500-m tunnel and double-decker flyover at Shivaji Square junction.

The road,after completion,would also provide an alternate link to the eastern suburbs,Thane and Navi Mumbai and more importantly reduce the travel time.