Dividers on WEH to go; to aid Metro 7 corridor

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will dismantle dividers on the Western Express Highway (WEH) on those stretches where alignment of the Andheri east-Dahisar east Metro 7 corridor is planned on the median of WEH. According to MMRDA, dismantling of these dividers will give motorists access to one additional lane on the opposite side during rush hour.

MMRDA has further said that Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) has agreed to run more air-conditioned buses on the stretch till civic work on the metro corridor is completed. The move is expected to motivate motorists to use public transport.

Meanwhile, MMRDA will start off with barricading work on three stretches of the metro corridor. “Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has already shared underground utility plans with MMRDA. We will first identify the various utilities and thereafter, begin excavation work. Also, the work of barricading will be completed in 10 days,” said Pravin Darade, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA.

MMRDA has also prepared a traffic management plan and is working with the traffic police department to reduce inconvenience to motorists.

“Actual diversion of traffic will be put into effect at a later stage after looking into how motorists adapt to the traffic snarls,” said Milind Bharambe, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

It is learnt that in the interim, the traffic department will not allow parking on stretches where civic work is being carried out. Both MMRDA and the traffic department are also said to have deployed trained traffic wardens to regulate the traffic. “We have plans to stagger toll lanes at Dahisar check naka by 500 or the required number of meters to ease traffic congestion,” added Mr Darade.

Around 247 residential and commercial structures will be rehabilitated for carrying out the work.

The deadline for the project is 2019 and contractors will get 30 months to complete the project, for which, the period will be considered from May 2016.

The 16-km-long metro corridor is pegged at Rs 6,208 crore and the state government will disburse funds for civic works while the Asian Development Bank will make the rest available.