Thane creek bridge repair work leads to traffic chaos on Ghodbunder Road

As a result of the repairs, the Majiwada junction, where the Eastern Express Highway, Ghodbunder Road and Mumbai-Nasik Road faced massive traffic jams throughout the day. The jams worsened in the evening peak hours

Thane: Thaneites taking the Majiwada junction and Ghodbunder Road for their daily commute in the morning and evenings will have to brace for hours of heavy traffic snarls, pay more autorickshaw and cab fares and even walk to their homes due to non-availability of transport options.

Thane, India - August, 24, 2023: The work of repairing the Saket bridge in Thane has been undertaken by the State Road Development Corporation and as one-way traffic is going on for this, there was a traffic jam on the Mumbai-Nashik highway on Thursday. , in Mumbai, India, on,Thursday, August, 24, 2023. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo )

This is a result of Saket bridge repair work, which has developed a major crack in one of its joints. The bridge, over the Thane Creek, is a prominent connector for Thane to Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Bhiwandi and Nashik.

Public Works Minister Dada Bhuse, who was scheduled to inspect the bridge on Thursday morning cancelled his visit at the last minute and instead travelled to Navi Mumbai to inspect the Vashi Creek bridge. Meanwhile, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation started repairs of the joint on a war footing which is likely to go on for the next few days. As a result, one way of the Mumbai-Nashik has been shut down partly for allowing vehicles to pass in a single lane, leading to heavy jams.

As a result of the repairs, the Majiwada junction, where the Eastern Express Highway, Ghodbunder Road and Mumbai-Nasik Road faced massive traffic jams throughout the day. The jams worsened in the evening peak hours. Chaos reigned as autorickshaws plying at the Thane railway station refused to take passengers residing on Ghodbunder Road.

“It is not possible for us to take passengers on Ghodbunder Road. It takes more than 45 minutes to an hour to drop them. We have to go through massive traffic jams and the meter shoots up from ₹80 to ₹200 frustrating the passengers. It is better to ply in Thane city and avoid rides from Majiwada junction to anywhere on Ghodbunder road,” said an auto driver.

The Thane Municipal Corporation had earlier made certain changes at Majiwada junction segregating heavy and light vehicle traffic, erecting concrete waist-high dividers to further shut crisscrossing traffic arriving from five directions, and closing a carriageway under the overhead flyover. However, that has not helped decongest the junction.

On Thursday, in the wake of the Saket bridge repairs, the traffic scenario worsened. “I drove to my office yesterday taking the Talaopali route, and during the drive, I had to apply brakes several times leading to aching foot. So today, I decided to take an auto, but no driver was not ready to cross Majiwada junction. I finally gave up and walked for more than 45 minutes to reach home,” said a Majiwada resident.

Another frustrated Thane resident, Kedar Joshi wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “There is no support from Thane traffic police. We need 24-hour traffic police support at Ghodbunder Road till the traffic jam issue is resolved.”

“I don’t understand what kind of traffic improvement system is implemented at Majiwada naka. It takes half an hour to wait at Majiwada Chowk. Loss of time, fuel and money,” said an exasperated Santosh Sartape on X.