Confusion over Peddar Rd flyover

Guardian minister Jayant Patil says project scrapped; MSRDC still undecided. Many residents of Peddar Road have opposed the project, including noted singer Lata Mangeshkar.

Confusion continues over the fate of the proposed flyover at Peddar Road.

HT Image

Mumbai island city’s guardian minister Jayant Patil said on Saturday that the state had decided to scrap the 4.3km flyover and build two smaller flyovers or car decks instead to ease traffic. However, Bipin Shrimali, vice chairman and managing director of Maharashtra State Road Deve-lopment Corporation (MSRDC), the agency that has been contemplating building the flyover for well over a decade, claimed that they were still not sure whether they wanted to go ahead with the project or scrap it.

The flyover, which was mooted in 2000 from LL Marg at Haji Ali to Marine Drive near GB Pant Marg, was touted as a panacea for the traffic woes at Peddar Road — one of the narrowest stretches on the road connecting the city with its southern tip.

Many residents of Peddar Road have opposed the project, including noted singer Lata Mangeshkar.

HT had reported on April 12 that the Empowered Committee of the state government, headed by chief secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad, had recommended that MSRDC should look at dropping the flyover plan and instead build 1 km long car-decks on vital junctions on the original flyover route.