Last hurdles for Eastern Freeway being cleared

Getting right of way,demolishing encroachments and resettling the project-affected people was one of the biggest challenges for the construction of the Eastern Freeway,which will provide uninterrupted connectivity from the eastern suburbs to south Mumbai.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will now take up the demolition of about five structures at Panjarpol near the under-construction twin tunnels,touted to be the first urban transport tunnels in Asia.

“Almost all the project-affected people have been shifted and only these structures are left on the edge of the Panjarpol tunnels. The owners were resisting displacement earlier and had approached the city civil court so the matter got delayed. We will raze the structures within 10 days,” said Ashwini Bhide,additional metropolitan commissioner,adding that the MMRDA had razed about 10-15 structures near the tunnels two weeks ago.

However,an engineer working on the project said a small plot,known as ‘Ibrahim plot’ near the Chembur-Mankhurd Link road is obstructing eight to 10 foundations of the elevated road as the owner is resisting acquisition.

To construct the Eastern Freeway,which is expected to be ready next year,the MMRDA had to demolish large pockets of slums and residential buildings,and negotiate with several religious structures. While the MMRDA expects the first part to Anik and four lanes of the Anik Panjarpol Link Road to be ready by January 2013,connectivity up to Ghatkopar will only be possible by April or May 2013.

The freeway,being built at a cost of Rs 1,135 crore,will provide relief to commuters from the eastern suburbs,Thane,Navi Mumbai,Panvel and Pune and is expected to halve traffic on the Eastern Express Highway and Ambedkar Road. “The Freeway will be able to service about 1.5 to 2 lakh vehicles per day towards its peak,though initially the traffic will be lesser,” Bhide said.

A similar concept was planned for the western suburbs,but barring the construction of Bandra-Worli Sea Link,the plan is yet to materialise.