Mumbai: MMRDA plans signal-free corridor on Western Express Highway

Metropolitan Commissioner R A Rajeev said: “We are planning to rework the junctions with a signal-free concept. For example, at junctions, we can have an underpass that will allow smooth movement of traffic for north-south and east-west traffic.”

WEH is among the most congested arterial roads in the city and traffic woes on the road have been compounded between Andheri-Dahisar as stretches of the highway have been barricaded for the construction of the elevated Metro since November, 2016. According to traffic data, the average speed of vehicle between Dahisar to CSIA is 10 to 12 km per hour.

Last year, the MMRDA secured the rights for maintaining the WEH and the Eastern Express Highway (EEH). According to the information received from the MMRDA, at present, 16 km of WEH faces an acute problem of gridlocks, slowing traffic down by about 35-40 minutes. To cover the distance of about 19.1 km from Dahisar to CSIA, it takes about an hour and a half.

An MMRDA official said: “To reduce the travel time and to control the vehicle entry, we are planning to make WEH signal free. For making this happen, MMRDA is going to appoint a consultant and seek expression of interests from various construction companies.”

A senior officer from the MMRDA said for making WEH signal free, service roads need to be cleared and missing links on the highway will be bridged with flyovers. At present, the MMRDA has identified three spots — one near the Times of India building near Kandivali, where construction of flyovers may be difficult owing to litigation. The other spots have transmission towers that may be shifted to different locations in order to complete the missing links. “To start the project, we are soon going to float a global tender for appointing a consultant,” an MMRDA official said.

Sources from MMRDA said that the current plan is to have eight-lane flyovers — four lanes on each side. Out of these four lanes, one on both sides will allow a motorist to get down or get up to the corridor and other 3 lanes on each side will be free corridor from Bandra to Dahisar.