Incomplete FOB on SCLR is causing km-long traffic jams: Motorists

The foot over-bridge at the end of the west-bound arm of the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road, which has been under construction for nearly a year, is inconveniencing motorists greatly

It has been over a year since the Rs 450-crore Santaruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) was thrown open to enhance connectivity between the Eastern and Western Express Highways.

While the incomplete FOB results in jams stretching for more than a kilometre, the problem is exacerbated by the rubber rumblers

However, the under-construction Foot Over Bridge (FOB) at the end of the west-bound arm of the double-decker flyover at the Kurla-end is inconveniencing motorists greatly, especially during morning peak hours. Construction of the foot bridge began soon after the SCLR was thrown open on April 18, 2014 and has not been completed even a year on.

MMRDA says the FOB should be completed within a month. Pics/Atul Kamble

Motorists complain that the incomplete FOB results in jams stretching for over a kilometre on this particular section every day and the problem is exacerbated by the rubber rumblers installed about 150 metres before the pedestrian crossing, which slow traffic down to a crawl.

Installed about 150 metres ahead of the pedestrian crossing. These rumblers slow traffic down to a crawl

Traffic officials say the problem will be solved only once the FOB’s construction is complete. When this mid-day correspondent visited the spot on Thursday, he noticed bumper-to-bumper traffic on the entire west-bound stretch of the SCLR, from the double-decker flyover towards Halav pul.

An on-duty traffic police official said, “The reason the rumblers were installed was to prevent accidents, because a lot of people from the neighbouring residential colonies and slum pockets cross the road from here. The only solution is the completion of the FOB at the earliest.”

Official speak
MMRDA Joint Project Director Dilip Kawathkar said, “We are aware of the inconvenience caused to the motorists, as there is a pedestrian crossing near the signal after the double-decker flyover. The FOB will be completed within a month. The reason the construction work got delayed was the presence of a water pipeline, which has now been shifted.”

Motorist speak
“I travel from Thane to my office near BKC and waste nearly 30 minutes every day after descending from the double-decker flyover. The authorities must complete the construction of the FOB at the earliest and uninstall the rumblers to decongest the road.

Another location where traffic jams have become a nuisance for motorists is near Kapadia junction in Kurla. The primary reason for this problem is the encroachment of the road by scrap dealers in the area,” said Amit Nagrecha, a Thane resident.

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