Sahar elevated road divided into 2 phases, delayed till September '13

Mumbaikars hoping to zip along on the ambitious Sahar Elevated Road connecting the Western Express Highway with Chhattrapati Shivaji International Airport will have to wait it out, as the project that was slated to be complete by the end of this year will be delayed further.

Confirming the same, Additional Metropolitan Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said, "The work on the Sahar elevated road is in progress but we will only be able to throw open the entire stretch in September 2013."

Earlier this year, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had said that the project would be completed by the end of 2012.

Slowly moving: Phase I of the Sahar Elevated Project is 75% completed and should be open by March 2013. File Pic

However, since the resettlement and rehabilitation of project-affected people was delayed, the project had seen slow progress.

MMRDA Joint Project Director Dilip Kawathkar said, "The work of the Sahar Elevated Road has been amended to two phases. The first phase under MMRDA jurisdiction is more than 75 per cent complete and will be completed by March 2013. The second phase is under the jurisdiction of Mumbai International Airport Limited, and is expected to be operational by next September."

The six-lane approach road will have four entry and two exit points. The length of the proposed road is 2 km, and the cost of project is Rs 287.37 crore. This road has been funded under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

Once completed, the project will help ease out the traffic congestion at Bahar Junction under the Andheri flyover and Sahar Road, and will provide relief to air travellers who have to face heavy traffic in order to reach the airport on time.