Fourteen kilometres of the long-awaited Eastern Freeway will be opened to traffic by 9 am on Friday, making a signal-free drive possible between Chembur and South Mumbai. But there are riders: for a 17-km long bridge (3km to be opened in December), there is going to be little supervision by the traffic police, and the freeway's feeder and arrival routes, including roads leading to the main entrance and exit points,haveobstacleslike encroachments and parking of heavy vehicles.
The number of towing vans and traffic cops to be present on the freeway will not be sufficient for such a long route, said a traffic expert. "Hence, there should be a good CCTV camera system, including a control room from where the police willbe ableto monitor the entire length of the freeway and ensure that traffic violators are booked, and, more importantly, ensure quick action in case there are accidents," the expert said. The main challenge will be maintaining the flowof traffic ateither end of the freeway, said an expertworking closely with the government. "Between the freeway's Orange Gate ramp and CST, there are encroachments along P D'Mello Road and also parking of heavy vehicles. I think the solution lies in giving proper space to private truckers and motorists coming to ports and godowns. Their present parking site on P D'Mello Road has to go if smooth traffic flows has to be maintained from the freeway for South Mumbai."
Things are not smooth at the other end of the freeway—Shivaji Chowk near R K Studios in Chembur—either. "Here, four roads culminate, bringing a high volume of traffic. Hence, signalling time will go up for traffic coming from the freeway," said Vidur Shah, a resident of Chembur. "This will be a dampener for those hoping for a fast commute towards Navi Mumbai from the freeway."
Transport expert Ashok Datar said all entry and exit ramps along the freeway should be made ready at the earliest to achieve the intended benefits of a costly infra project. "Maximum accessibility to the freeway will multiply its success." 1
Orange Gate landing and
take-off on P D'Mello Road | Hutment and godown encroachments, parking of heavy vehicles between Orange Gate ramp and CST. Certain stretches are uneven and thus prone to waterlogging 2
Novelty factor | Since the EFW is 14-km long, motorists will take time to get used to its exit and entry ramps. Ramps in spots like BPT Road toll post and Bhakti Park in Wadala are yet to be built. A 700-metre road between BPT Road and Wadala-Chembur Road, which will provide continuous connectivity along the EFW, is yet to be completed 3
Points at Shivaji Chowk near R K Studios in Chembur | Four major roads culminate here. Thus Navi Mumbai-bound traffic at the EFW exit at Shivaji Square will have a long wait for the green signal. Parking of heavy vehicles on the Mankhurd-Vashi Road can further reduce traffic flow
TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS
The police fear that some motorists may not be able to resist the temptation to speed up on a flyover as long as the freeway, thus leading to accidents BENEFITS Friday onwards | Traffic to Navi Mumbai, Goa, Pune, Chembur, Kurla, Panvel, Deonar and Mankhurd
December onwards | Traffic to Thane, Airoli, Mulund and Ghatkopar after a 3-km section of the EFW is opened
General | The EFW's Ghatkopar end is near the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road and the upcoming Santa Cruz Chembur Link Road
TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS
Entry to the EFW barred for two- and
three-wheelers, animal carts, bicycles and tricycles, and pedestrians
Entry barred for heavy vehicles like trailers and transport vehicles except BEST and state buses. Entry barred for luxury private buses
Like on JJ flyover, the traffic police are to monitor vehicular speed
PROJECT PARTICULARS MMRDA engineers involved | Chief engineer: Sharad Sabnis; superintending engineers: D P Deshmukh, V N Ghanekar; executive engineers: J R Dhane, M V Jaitpal, D S Bhaik; deputy engineers: A B Dhabe, G D Rathod, S Vijay Kumar; assistant engineers: J B Patil, V S Kambale, P S Pawar, B V Biradar Consultants | Consulting Engineering Services, STUP Consultants
Contractors | Simplex Infrastructure, Madhucon Projects, J Kumar
Times View: Let EFW be used without delay
Two days of monsoon have been able to expose the state of preparedness of Mumbai's infrastructure agencies. And it would be unfair to target the BMC; other agencies, too, have not covered themselves with glory. But what we find really galling is the continued wait for a worthy (from Delhi?) to inaugurate the Eastern Freeway even though the roads below are creaking under the combined weight of traffic and water logging. Seeing an empty— and completed—EFW while negotiating traffic and accumulated water on the old roads is a cruel joke.
This Times View appeared on June 11, following which the government opened the Eastern Freeway to traffic
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