Traffic snarls set to increase near Mumbai as Kalwa bridge to undergo repairs soon

The road on the bridge is all worn out and the corporation plans to redevelop it.

Commuters in Mumbai travelling via the Kalwa Bridge might have to face increased traffic snarls as the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has decided to undertake repair work on the entire four-lane bridge. The road on the bridge is all worn out and the corporation plans to redevelop it. The civic authorities have, however, assured that the traffic won’t be hit, as the work will be done in patches and mostly during the night when the traffic is meagre.

The paver blocks installed on the bridge in 2012 are damaged at many places, leading to potholes.

Ratan Awsarmol, city engineer, TMC, said, “The paver blocks were installed on the bridge in 2012. These blocks were also fitted on the access road to the bridge from the Thane and Kalwa side. The bridge has huge density of vehicles, both light and heavy, owing to which the blocks have worn off and are uneven at places, small potholes have also developed on the road. This not only slows down the traffic but can also lead to accidents. We have received many complaints about this and thus have decided to remove these blocks and redevelop the road using the mastic asphalt technique.”

The junction is an important link which connects Thane to Kalwa, Navi Mumbai and Pune. It is one of the most congested points in the city. The old bridge was recently closed down after it was declared dangerous by the authorities while the third bridge is only 50 percent completed. Over 4,000 vehicles use this four lane bridge everyday. The repair work will add on to the traffic woes.

Awsarmol, however, added, “We will ensure that there will not be any congestion on the bridge. The work will be carried out only on a 3.5 meter patch at a time. Moreover, we will carry out the work between 11pm to 4am, when the traffic is minimum. The vehicles will also be diverted from Saket or Airoli Route. The work will begin post monsoon, and we will try to complete it as soon as possible.”