TMC mulls merging service roads with Ghodbunder Rd to ease traffic

In a meeting with MLA Pratap Sarnaik, the TMC commissioner Abhijit Bangar discussed ways to address the issue of traffic jams on Ghodbunder Road. It was decided to plan for the merger of the service roads, nine meters of width each, on both the sides with the main road

Thane: In what may prove to be a relief for commuters, who spend hours negotiating traffic jams on Ghodbunder Road, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) is considering merging the service roads with the main road, thus expanding it.

Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) is mulling over merging service road off Ghodbunder Road with the main road in order to decongest the stretch. (PRAFUL GANGURDE / HT PHOTO)

The Ghodbunder Road connects Thane with the Western suburbs of Mira Road and Borivali on the left and Vasai-Virar on the right of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway. Presently, there are four flyovers on the road at Waghbil, Manpada, Patlipada and Kapurbawadi.

The Ghodbunder Road is one of the busiest roads in Thane, residents in the vicinity have repeatedly complained of increased traffic congestion due to ongoing infra works like the elevated Metro 4 line.

In a meeting with MLA Pratap Sarnaik, the TMC commissioner Abhijit Bangar discussed ways to address the issue of traffic jams on Ghodbunder Road. It was decided to plan for the merger of the service roads, nine meters of width each, on both the sides with the main road.

The metro work, constructing pillars for the elevated track, has moved to the next stretch from Kapurbavadi to Gaimukh in the TMC area and due to this, the residents of this area are facing huge traffic jams.

Fire brigade trucks and ambulances are often stuck in such traffic jams. With no alternative route from Ghodbunder Road, it takes about half an hour to cover even a minimum distance on this road.

Residents had approached Sarnaik to take notice of this issue. He conducted a survey from Kapurbawdi to Gaimukh, and it showed that even the residents of one BHK flats use four-wheelers and due to lack of space, they park the vehicles on the service roads.

“Private cars, as well as tempo, trucks, auto rickshaws, are parked there. Therefore, it is necessary to build a parking plaza there. Also, due to the parking on the service road, motorists are forced to use the main road instead of the service road and even pedestrians are not using the five to six-feet wide footpath on the side of the service road,” said Sarnaik.

“If a service road of nine meters each on both sides is connected to the main road of Ghodbunder and a two-meter footpath is made on both sides of the road, it will be of use to both pedestrians and drivers. If the service road is added to Ghodbunder Road, the traffic congestion problem will be solved,” added Sarnaik.

Also, Sarnaik suggested to the commissioner that around six to seven parking plazas should be constructed along the road from Kapurbavadi to Gaymukh as the residents use service roads for parking. He also insisted that the service roads should be concretised while merging with the main road in order to avoid potholes in future.

“The Ghodbunder Road is one of the most congested roads in Thane and sees traffic jams at most times of the day. It is true that the service road, which is meant to ease congestion, is misused and thus, does not relieve traffic jams on the main road, said Minal Kundar,39, a resident of Ghodbunder Road.

“There is a need to have a widened road at Ghodbunder considering the future flow of traffic on this stretch. Sometimes, it takes more than hour reach Thane station from Ghodbunder,” said Kundar.