BMC panel nod for extending Kora Kendra flyover till Mumbai’s WEH

According to the plan, motorists coming from Link Road will be able to skip the Kora Kendra Junction on SV Road as they will directly be able to head to WEH via a set of two flyovers

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s standing committee on Thursday approved a proposal for extending the flyover at Kora Kendra in Borivli. The decision will lead to an increase in the project cost from ₹160 crore to around ₹650 crore.

Mumbai, India - June 29, 2020: Heavy traffic on Western Express Highway due to police Naka Bandi at Borivali during lockdown for Covid-19 pandemic in Mumbai, India, on Monday, June 29, 2020. (Photo by Satyabrata Tripathy/Hindustan Times) (HT File)

The proposal of that will lead to over 300% cost escalation was brought in the standing committee for the third time on Thursday, when it was passed unopposed. Earlier, all political parties had opposed the proposal, citing that clear details were not given giving justification for the cost escalation.

Currently, a 970-metre flyover is being constructed between Kora Kendra Junction on SV Road and Link Road, for which the work had started by the end of 2018. However, BMC now plans an extension of the flyover up to the Western Express Highway (WEH) to decongest Borivli’s arterial roads.

According to the plan, motorists coming from Link Road will be able to skip the Kora Kendra Junction on SV Road as they will directly be able to head to WEH via a set of two flyovers.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator and standing committee member Bhalchandra Shirsat said, “The proposal was passed in the standing committee on Thursday. All political parties agreed for passing the extension proposal as the administration submitted proper details. We had made it clear earlier itself that we are not against development but had opposed the manner in which the process was not being followed.”

Meanwhile, BMC said the cost shot up after it made technical changes in the construction. It said the escalation is not only due to extension but also because the guidelines for load bearing have been changed, mandating additional safety measures to be taken.

In its justification submitted to the standing committee, BMC said, “Despite a cost escalation of ₹490 crore, BMC will save around ₹63 crore, considering it has not tendered the additional works, but allotted the construction to the existing contractor working on the 970-metre flyover.”

BMC said the current contractor has shown intention in doing the work on old rates that will help the corporation save around ₹63 crore.