Traffic jams in Mumbai after two bridges are closed

The closure of two bridges – in Andheri and Grant Road – led to traffic congestion in the western suburbs as well as parts of the island city.

It was a chaotic Wednesday morning for Mumbaiites who travelled by road as the closure of two bridges – in Andheri and Grant Road – caused traffic jams both in the western suburbs and parts of the island city.

Traffic on the Western Express Highway on Wednesday morning. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

The closure of Gokhale flyover in Andheri, after parts of it collapsed on Tuesday, caused traffic bottlenecks in Mumbai’s western suburbs during the morning peak hours.

As the bridge, which connects Andheri east and west, is closed, traffic worsened on SV Road and Western Express Highway, eventually going back all the way to Kandivli. Motorists complained that it took them an hour to cross JVLR from Powai and another hour to reach Andheri as all roads going there were packed.

“We are trying to manage the traffic, but there are also more vehicles on the roads as train services had had been disrupted,” a traffic police official said, requesting anonymity.

Traffic in south Mumbai, too, was affected after cracks were spotted on Frere bridge at Grant Road and the bridge, which connects Grant Road (west) and Nana Chowk, was closed. Vehicles have been diverted onto Kennedy bridge. “Traffic is slow-moving towards Kennedy bridge,” said a traffic official, who did not wish to be named.