18 September,2020 07:05 AM IST | Mumbai | Gaurav Sarkar
The Balasaheb Thackeray flyover. File pic/ Sameer Markande
Members of the Lokhandwala-Oshiwara Citizens Association (LOCA) have written to Yuva Sena Chief and Guardian Minister of Mumbai's suburbs Aaditya Thackeray, urging him to 'push the long-delayed project' of Balasaheb Thackeray flyover as it will increase the accessibility to the Western Express Highway (WEH) and cut down the travel time from half an hour to a mere ten minutes.
In its letter, LOCA mentioned that the Balasaheb Thackeray flyover in Jogeshwari, which currently connects WEH with SV Road was supposed to have an extension at Link Road (near Lokhandwala and Oshiwara) which has 'been stuck for a decade.'
Noting that the shortest route to reach the flyover is currently a 'single, serpentine road' riddled with encroachments, the letter said, "We would like you to push this long-delayed project as it is a vital link for residents of Andheri, who currently need to travel 30 to 40 minutes to access WEH. With this extension, the starting transit time will be brought down to 5-10 minutes."
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The letter further says, "This flyover will also connect with Balasaheb Thackeray Hospital, which is currently serving the citizens effectively in COVID-19 times and many lives can be saved if the 'golden hour' transit time is reduced.'
Speaking with mid-day, Dhaval Shah, founder, LOCA, explained that Andheri residents, especially those living in Lokhandwala and Oshiwara, are forced to use a single-lane road on a major pathway leading up to the Thackeray flyover. "The agony of simply reaching the WEH increased manifold during peak hours of travel, due to the encroachments and the traffic situation with the coming of Unlock 4.0, has become worse. If Metro Line 6 is able to go ahead on the same path (on Link Road) then why can't the government do the same for the flyover extension?"
He concluded: "With no ground movement seen on this project in the last decade, we lost patience and decided to write a letter so that attention can be drawn to this long-delayed project that is, uncannily enough, named after the suburban minister's grandfather and current Chief Minister's father."
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