Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is developing a Rs. 341.59-crore cable-stayed bridge in Borivali to create a direct connection between the Western Express Highway and Link Road, allowing commuters to bypass three congested junctions on Dattapada Road.
The project is intended to improve movement between Borivali West and the Western Express Highway near Dattapada Road. It will also form part of a wider network of planned connections to the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (North) and the Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel project.
A senior BMC official told The Indian Express that foundation and substructure work was nearly 70 per cent complete, while work on the superstructure was under way. The official said the link would provide direct connectivity from the Western Express Highway to Link Road, helping commuters avoid traffic on Dattapada Road.
At present, vehicles travelling between Borivali West and the Western Express Highway pass through Rajendra Nagar Junction, Dattapada Cross Road Junction and the T Junction near Suswagat Hotel. The proposed bridge is designed to bypass these three locations and reduce the number of conflict points along the route.
The project will begin at the east-side approach road of the General Cariappa Rail Over Bridge. Its landing point will be approximately 70 metres before the Western Express Highway in Borivali East. The bridge will be 880 metres long, with a width varying between 15.3 metres and 21.5 metres. The cable-stayed section will extend for 500 metres.
The planned connection will run from the General Cariappa ROB towards the Kora Kendra flyover and Link Road. BMC proposals also provide for links to the Coastal Road Project (North) and the Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel project near the Magathane Bus Depot. These connections are intended to integrate the bridge with larger road infrastructure planned across Mumbai’s western suburbs.
According to the BMC official, the direct route could save commuters time and reduce fuel consumption. The official also said that lower fuel use could help reduce pollution, although the civic body has not provided a quantified estimate of the expected savings in the information available.
The project’s progress comes as Borivali’s road network is being planned around several major east-west and north-south connections. The bridge’s eventual effectiveness will depend on how its approaches connect with the Kora Kendra flyover, Link Road, the Coastal Road extension and the Thane-Borivali tunnel system. The BMC’s current update confirms that substructure work is advancing and that construction of the superstructure has begun.
