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Thane’s grand arches to face the bulldozer in June
The arches, located at Lal Bahadur Shashtri (LBS) Marg, Anandnagar and Vitawa, were built in 1984 and according to the civic body, are in a dangerous condition
The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has decided to demolish the three stone arches at its entry and exit points as they are in a dangerous condition. Demolition has been planned during the second week of June.
The arches, located at Lal Bahadur Shashtri (LBS) Marg, Anandnagar and Vitawa, were built in 1984 and according to the civic body, are under great stress owing to advertisement hoardings that have been placed on them.
The move comes after several local residents complained about the crumbling arches and the dangers they pose to pedestrians and vehicles moving beneath them.
“In August 2018, a portion of the arch at LBS Marg had collapsed. Its stone came loose at some points and was reinforced with steel,” said Santosh Motdhare, a resident of Ghodbunder. “The road below this part of the arch is barricaded to prevent any kind of accident. And this causes heavy traffic jams.”
A TMC official, requesting anonymity, said, “We have conducted a structural survey of all the arches and decided we will demolish them. A contractor has been appointed to carry out the work.”
According to the official, the civic body has not decided whether the arches would be reconstructed and the priority right now was to avoid an accident.
At present, the arches have developed cracks at several points and the plaster has come off at many places.
Thane traffic police officials said they have not been informed of the demolition yet but once it is confirmed, they would take measures to ensure traffic flow remains smooth.
The three arches at Thane — Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Pravesh Dwar at LBS check naka; Anand Dighe Pravesh Dwar on the Eastern Express Highway at Anandnagar; and TMC entry gate on the Thane-Belapur Highway at Vitawa — form an important transit point for motorists who are commuting from Mumbai towards Bhiwandi, Kalyan-Dombivli and Navi Mumbai.
At the Anandnagar arch, nearly 1.22 lakh vehicles drive through this plaza, which acts as an entry point into Thane from the Eastern Express Highway (EEH). There is regular traffic congestion owing to toll collection and the narrow Kopri Bridge pass.
The LBS Marg arch is located on a narrow road; this check post is congested with autorickshaws parked on either side of the arch. Around 70,000 vehicles pass through this point daily.
The Vitawa arch is located on the Thane-Belapur Road at the end of Digha village, where the jurisdiction of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation stops and the jurisdiction of TMC begins. The road here is narrow and prone to congestion during peak hours.
