One way for motorists on Mahim flyover

The traffic police shut the right turn to the Western Express Highway under the flyover soon after it was inaugurated. This resulted in a mess on the roads with motorists unaware of the new traffic flow.

To use the flyover to go to the Western Express Highway, motorists have to turn left off the busy Mahim causeway and then take a clockwise turn to climb on to the flyover.

Motorist who didn8217;t know they had to turn left to use the flyover were stranded on one end of the road. 8220;We have several cases of cars not knowing that the right turn was shut and then being stranded in the middle of the road after turning left midway, blocking traffic,8221; says atraffic constable at Mahim.

South-bound traffic which sped down the flyover found themselves bumping into the straightline north-bound traffic at the base of the flyover. Hence the one-way.

The traffic constables suggested installing a series of at least 12 boards all along the Mahim causeway to inform motorists of the new traffic pattern. However, so far there are only two boards, one put up by the traffic police and another by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation MSRDC. The 670-metre-long Mahim flyover which cost Rs 15.95 crore was commissioned as the MSRDC8217;s 11th flyover.

Yadav admits that it would take some time to educate motorists on the use of the flyover. He said that the accidents were not of a serious nature.

Niranjan Mehta, chairperson of the Western India Automobile Association8217;s WIAA traffic sub-committee says this is because of inadequate signage. 8220;The signs are half-heartedly done and motorists have no idea they have to keep left to use the flyover,8221; he says. Addingthat it was presently inconvenient to turn left and use the flyover, Mehta added that it would take some more time for motorists to form a habit. Traffic authorities say this flyover is only one part of a larger grid comprising the Rs 500 crore Worli-Bandra sealink and a ramp leading down from the Mahim flyover towards Mahim. The flyover already has a incomplete ramp that will connect to the sealink when it is finished. 8220;The full utility of this flyover will be realised only after both these projects are completed by 2002,8221; says Inspector L I Rao who heads the traffic police8217;s planning cell.