Mumbra bypass road closure: Traffic jam on Mumbai’s Eastern Express Highway

Thane commuters coming into Mumbai during morning peak hours on Tuesday were stuck

Thane commuters coming into Mumbai during the morning peak hours on Tuesday had to contend with severe traffic jam on the Eastern Express Highway, following the closure of Mumbra bypass for repairs on Monday.

Traffic jam on the Eastern Express Highway in Thane on Tuesday morning, after officials close Mumbra bypass. (Praful Gangurde)

Traffic came to a complete standstill at Anandnagar toll plaza as now vehicles heading to Navi Mumbai also have to take the Mulund-Airoli route via Anandnagar. “There was major congestion near Anandnagar toll plaza in the morning due to the closure of the bypass,” said Amit Kale, deputy commissioner of police, Thane traffic division. “The congestion eased somewhat after we started an extra lane at the toll post.”

The traffic department has recommended several diversions until the seven-kilometre-long bypass road is reopened to traffic. Kale said: “People were aware about the bypass work, so many took the diversions. There were no jams in Kalwa and Mumbra.”

Every day, around 15,000 containers, apart from thousands of light vehicles, pass through the Mumbra bypass road. Now, the traffic flow from JNPT will be controlled, and only 20% of the total vehicles will be allowed to move out at any given time; the remaining 80% will have to wait at JNPT for their turn.

The police have also decided to allow heavy vehicles on Ghodbunder Road and the Eastern Exppress Highway during the non-peak hours, where most vehicles will be diverted from the old Mumbai-Pune highway towards Karjat to Murbad, Shahpur and the NH3 to Nashik or Bhiwandi.