Decongesting Dahisar checkpoint: BMC to start work on Link Road extension

BMC on Tuesday floated bids for the construction of the ₹2,400 crore linking road project, and work is expected to start from October 2022, said officials

Mumbai The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to start work on its ambitious project of connecting Dahisar and Bhayander via a 5.6 km-long Link Road. The civic body on Tuesday floated bids for the construction of the ₹2,400 crore linking road project, and work is expected to start from October 2022, said officials.

According to the plan, the extension will start from Linking Road in Dahisar west and pass via mangroves and salt pan land all the way to Bhayander (HT File)

The linking road project is expected to decongest traffic at Dahisar checkpoint, where thousands of vehicles pass daily towards Bhayander-Vasai-Palghar as well as Gujarat and further towards Delhi and western and north India. The Dahisar checkpoint to Ghodbunder Road is also considered one of the most congested roads during peak hours. The new road would ease this bottleneck.

According to the plan, the extension will start from Linking Road in Dahisar west and pass via mangroves and salt pan land all the way to Bhayander. About 45 metres wide road both in form of road and an elevated bridge will be constructed.

The project is pushed by guardian minister Aaditya Thackeray, who has taken several review meetings with authorities to bring down the traffic movement at Dahisar check Naka. Thackeray had earlier tweeted in January 2022, “Apart from the decongestion of Dahisar Toll Naka, the BMC will also construct the proposed 6 Km long 45 mtr wide road from existing Dahisar Link Road to Bhayander so as to create another route to Mira Bhayandar and ease out traffic, as declared last month.”

P Velrasu, sdditional municipal commissioner of the BMC said, “The tentative cost of the project is ₹2400 crore for 5.4 km length. The tender for construction will be awarded in June 2022 and work will start in October 2022.”

According to BMC officials, they are in the process of taking permission from various authorities for construction over mangroves and salt plan land. The town planning authority of the state government had also conducted a public hearing for the same on February 11, 2022.

However, residents from Dahisar say the authorities need to ensure that the traffic congestion of Dahisar check naka is not diverted to linking road that is a residential area.

Harish Pandey of New Linking Road Residents Association, whose residential buildings land was issued notice for land acquisition said, “The entire area of linking road is a residential area and by this road, the entire traffic will land on the linking road, which will create more traffic jams in residential areas. The authorities should instead plan an elevated road at Dahisar check naka if it wants to decongest traffic there. Also, there is a lot of environmental loss by the construction of this project.”

Meanwhile, another resident, Ankit Arora from Borivali, said, “For those wanting to go south Mumbai from Bhayander connectivity via Western Express Highway will be more helpful. However, this road will bring traffic on linking road from where vehicles will have to again go to the highway, which will disturb the narrow roads in this area.”