Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is building a new 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 Rs 341.59-crore project is planned as a faster link between Borivali West and the Western Express Highway near Dattapada Road. It is also designed to improve access to the upcoming Mumbai Coastal Road Project (North) and the proposed Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel road connection.
A senior BMC official told The Indian Express that foundation and substructure work on the project is nearly 70 per cent complete, while work on the superstructure is under way. The official said the bridge would provide direct connectivity and help commuters avoid considerable 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 new flyover is intended to bypass these three points rather than requiring traffic to move through each junction.
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 varying width of between 15.3 metres and 21.5 metres. The cable-stayed section will extend for 500 metres.
The planned connection will run from the Western Express Highway towards the General Cariappa ROB and is eventually expected to link with the Kora Kendra flyover and Link Road. BMC proposals also include connections to the Coastal Road Project (North) and the Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel Project near the Magathane Bus Depot.
The bridge is being developed within a wider network of road projects intended to improve east-west movement across Mumbai’s western suburbs. Its proposed links to the Coastal Road and the twin-tunnel project mean that its eventual traffic function will depend not only on the bridge itself, but also on the completion and integration of these connected corridors.
According to the BMC official, the direct route could reduce travel time for commuters using Dattapada Road and lower fuel consumption. The official also said that reduced idling and smoother movement could help reduce pollution. The civic body has not provided a revised completion date or detailed traffic projections in the information available for the project.
The next construction milestone is the completion of the ongoing superstructure work, following the reported progress on the foundations and substructure. BMC’s subsequent work will determine when the bridge can be connected to the General Cariappa ROB, Kora Kendra flyover and Link Road network.
