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Following complaints from commuters and activists about bottlenecks at the two ends of Eastern Freeway,MMRDA has decided to remodel the Panjarpol junction,where the freeway ends. Traffic from at least five directions currently converges at the narrow junction,popularly known as the Shivaji chowk,near R K Studio in Chembur.
Remodelling of Shivaji chowk has become vital and we are going to take it up, said Ashwini Bhide,additional metropolitan commissioner,MMRDA.
The first phase of the freeway has cut the commute from Orange Gate on P DMello Road to Chembur to under 15 minutes as against the hour-long drive earlier.
Though it was not part of the original scope of the project,we are examining possibilities of creating space at Shivaji chowk. One way is to reduce the diameter of the circle around the Shivaji statue,but there are several utilities underground at that spot. Working around them is going to be difficult, an MMRDA official said.
MMRDA is in the process of appointing a consultant to study possible ways to decongest the junction. It is also in talks with the traffic police department and BMC.
Officials said the chowk was congested junction even before the freeway was commissioned. With the opening of the freeway,the junction has to bear an additional load of at least 22,000 vehicles a day.
For the other end of the freeway on P DMello Road,metropolitan commissioner UPS Madan has requested the traffic department to clear illegal parking. The traffic department is consulting transport department for a long-term solution.
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