Heading towards Vashi? Expect more traffic snarls

There could be chaos in store for motorists travelling from Mumbai to Vashi and vice versa from April 9 to 16 as all traffic will be diverted to the old Vashi bridge or the Thane creek bridge owing to work conducted on the new bridge. Motorists travelling from Vashi to Mumbai will, however, be able to use the new bridge, albeit one lane only.

There could be chaos in store for motorists travelling from Mumbai to Vashi and vice versa from April 9 to 16 as all traffic will be diverted to the old Vashi bridge or the Thane creek bridge owing to work conducted on the new bridge. Motorists travelling from Vashi to Mumbai will, however, be able to use the new bridge, albeit one lane only.

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There will be a partial vehicular traffic diversion from April 9 to 12 between 8am and 8pm. From April 13 to 16, there will be complete traffic diversion.

The work conducted is routine structural monitoring of the north and south causeway adjoining the bridge and load testing of the north causeway. All tests will be conducted by the Central Road Research Institute at Vashi.

“During the week-long monitoring work, vehicles heading from Mumbai to Vashi will be diverted to two lanes of the one-way road on the new creek bridge. Light vehicles, tempos, buses plying from Vashi from Mumbai will be diverted to the old Vashi creek bridge. Other light and heavy vehicles will be allowed on one lane of the new creek bridge,” said Vijay Patil, deputy commissioner of police (traffic). Heavy traffic congestion is expected because of this.

The Navi Mumbai traffic department and public works department have issued an advisory to motorists and have provided alternative routes (see box).