MMRDA plans signal-free BKC to unclog biz hub

The BKC, which is a major commercial complex in the city, is very congested. A 2017 study in the G-block of BKC indicates that close to 50,000 vehicles enter the block during peak hours in a day.

In its plan to improve traffic management in the business hub of Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is looking at a long-term plan of making the whole complex signal-free.

The MMRDA is the special planning authority for BKC. The authority is planning a traffic-management overhaul in BKC.

The BKC, which is a major commercial complex in the city, is very congested. A 2017 study in the G-block of BKC indicates that close to 50,000 vehicles enter the block during peak hours in a day.

Officials fear that the situation will worsen with the construction of the Mumbai-Gujarat bullet train project in the area. Currently, there are several on-going infrastructure projects like the fully underground Metro-3 (Colaba-Bandra-Seepz), BKC-Eastern Express highway connector, Kalanagar flyover and the Santacruz-Chembur Link road extension.

K Vijaylakshmi, chief, transport and communications, said, “With the Jio convention centre, the bullet train project and the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), there will be a lot of congestion in the future too. We may not be able to achieve 100% results with the signal-free project, but we will try as much as possible.”

The MMRDA is the special planning authority for BKC. The authority is planning a traffic-management overhaul in BKC. It is also in the process of taking up a pilot project to make all internal roads in the G-Block one-way. Recently, MMRDA also renamed the roads in BKC. The roads have nomenclature like avenues, streets and lanes, similar to that in international cities.