Traffic chaos on first day of expansion work on Navi Mumbai’s Kalamboli Circle
The restrictions were put in place due to the ongoing construction of a flyover and an underpass at Kalamboli Circle in Navi Mumbai.
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The Navi Mumbai traffic police had announced the closure of the expressway exit through a notification, enforcing it Tuesday. (File Photo)/Representational)Severe traffic jams were reported at Kalamboli Circle in Navi Mumbai in the first two hours of the closure of the exit from the Pune-Mumbai Expressway, forcing authorities to reopen it temporarily.
The Navi Mumbai traffic police had announced the closure of the expressway exit through a notification, enforcing it Tuesday. The restrictions were put in place due to the ongoing construction of a flyover and an underpass at Kalamboli Circle by the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC). Vehicles heading towards Panvel and JNPT were rerouted via the Sion-Panvel Highway and Taloja Link Road to reach Kalamboli Circle.
The exit, which was initially closed for six months from Tuesday, February 11, had to be reopened within two hours due to severe traffic congestion. However, the exit was shut again by Tuesday evening, leading to further confusion. The decision was also made considering the ongoing Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination.
The police later stated that the exit would remain open for the next two to three days as the contractor had not yet deployed the required wardens for traffic management. However, the exit was shut again on Wednesday, raising concerns about the planning and execution of traffic arrangements.
“The road was temporarily reopened for a few hours in the late morning due to heavy congestion at the junction. However, after reviewing the situation and implementing revised traffic measures, authorities decided to proceed with the original plan and keep the exit road closed,” said a senior Navi Mumbai police officer.
The repeated opening and closing of the exit highlighted inconsistencies in the implementation of traffic regulations, creating confusion among the commuters.
Kalamboli Circle connects multiple major roads and has witnessed increasing traffic. With the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, the need for expansion was seen to handle future traffic volumes.
However, delays due to uncoordinated planning by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), CIDCO, and the Public Works Department have pushed the project timeline further. With only a few weeks left for the airport’s operations to begin, the expansion work is now being initiated, which could lead to traffic congestion for commuters.
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