Mumbai: ‘Systemic urban planning failure’

As Mumbairsquos planning agencies race to construct more flyovers and road overbridges ROBs to ease chronic traffic congestion concerns are mounting over whether these projects are truly solving the problem or merely shifting bottlenecks to new areas As part of the Elevated Chaos series we highlighted several upcoming flyovers and ROBs across Mumbai set to open in 2025 and early 2026 that are likely to worsen congestion at key junctionsThe northward extension of the SCLR to Santacruz junction for instance is expected to create chaos near Panbai International School on the Western Express Highway further choking an already overcrowded junction Similarly the Vikhroli eastwest connector linking the Eastern Express Highway to LBS Road is anticipated to cause long queues and traffic jams especially near Vikhroli Station Road and Tagore Nagar Junctionmidday spoke to multiple stakeholders including urban planners transport experts civil society organisations architects and officials from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation MSRDC Public Works Department PWD Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority MMRDA The growing consensus Mumbairsquos flyover frenzy may be compounding not curing the cityrsquos transport woesArchitects call for holistic planningDr Prof Anand Achari principal of Vivekanand Education Societyrsquos College of Architecture VESCOA emphasised the need for better planningldquoMumbairsquos effort to improve connectivity with flyovers and ROBs is commendable but their success depends on meticulous planning especially regarding landings Several upcoming projectsmdashthe Byculla cablestayed ROB the Vidyavihar bridge the SCLR extension and a new Vikhroli bridgemdashrisk creating severe traffic congestion if not executed properly Poorly designed landings can negate the benefits of these structures forming new bottlenecks The GoregaonMulund Link Road GMLR project for example promises reduced travel times between eastern and western suburbs However existing landing spots are already under strain Similarly the Coastal Roadrsquos approach roads have been criticised for their impact on surface traffic Poorly planned flyovers donrsquot just affect vehiclesmdashthey prolong travel times increase fuel consumption and heighten stress Public transport users also suffer as buses get trapped in congestion The Byculla ROB without proper integration may simply relocate congestion rather than alleviate it We must avoid repeating past mistakes Flyovers should be part of a comprehensive urban mobility plan not isolated projects Thoughtful planning traffic flow analysis and pedestrian considerations are essential If not Mumbairsquos flyover obsession could turn into a recipe for traffic disasterrdquoFrom fast lanes to bottlenecksDhawal Ashar head of Integrated Transport and Road Safety at WRI India echoed concerns on proper visionldquoMumbai began building flyovers in the early 2000s Since then we have constructed over 75 flyovers and wersquore still counting While they have had several impacts on the city a critical assessment of their performancemdashpurely from a traffic and pedestrian movement perspectivemdashreveals three major issuesgtgt Flyovers create bottlenecks at their ends since onand offramps are embankments with retaining walls unlike midsections supported by pillarsgtgt Many flyovers are designated crash hotspots Mumbai has a high pedestrian mode share meaning people frequently cross intersections Flyover pillars often distort intersection geometry making crossings unsafe Crashes are common at flyover ends due to conflicts between speeding vehicles and pedestriansgtgt Flyovers create longer queues at downstream intersections As traffic signals are bypassed more vehicles reach junctions faster causing severe delaysThe upcoming Metro network and an expanded BEST fleet alongside Mumbairsquos upgraded suburban train system have the potential to transform mobility However their success depends entirely on how we design and maintain pedestrian infrastructure Junctions beneath flyovers must be carefully planned to prioritise pedestrian movement and existing flyovers should be retrofitted to accommodate nonmotorised transportInstead of merely increasing road capacity with flyovers we need to assess new projects through a network efficiency lens Mumbai is at a critical juncture We must build humane mobility infrastructure that prioritises people not just vehicles The upcoming metro bus and suburban train systems will handle mass movement The focus now must be on restoring a walkable MumbairdquoGroundlevel issuesPankaj Joshi principal director of Urban Centre Mumbai pointed out fundamental planning flawsldquoRoad alignments should be planned alongside bridge construction During bridge work roads should be widened based on estimated traffic needs Removing road hurdles should be done simultaneously Delays can escalate project costs Mumbai has far less road space compared to other Indian cities Even today over 90 per cent of the population relies on public transport Expanding BEST bus services would not only benefit commuters but also reduce private vehicle dependencyrdquoBridges without purposeMilind Mhaske CEO of Praja Foundation puts it bluntlyldquoWe are not pointing fingers at any political party or individual intent but at a systemic governance failure in urban planning The flyovers and ROBs we see today are not isolated errors they are symptoms of decades of uncoordinated shortsighted infrastructure development When Mumbai began expanding in the 1990s we built without a comprehensive vision and now we are simply compounding those mistakes We urgently need to pause and rethinkmdashnot just renovate or extend structures but design a truly integrated sustainable and peoplecentric mobility plan for Mumbai and MMR The demand for quick fixes often comes from lsquoperceived solutionsrsquo amplified by political pressure and interest groups but government leadership must prioritise longterm intelligent and sustainable connectivity Right now we are offering instant cosmetic solutions to structural problems Without systemic coordination and a dedicated think tank we will keep building bottlenecks instead of bridges to the futurerdquoMissed connectionsJitendra Gupta Transport expert cited the SCLR as an example of poor planningldquoThe mess at Kurlarsquos Halav Pool could have been avoided if the SCLR flyover at Kurla depot had been extended to cross the Halav Pool Instead it has forced New Mill Road to become an elevated bridge which could have been kept at ground level Now Metro 2Brsquos alignment has created a height issue for vehicles using New Mill Road leading to unnecessary adjustments A single past mistake has resulted in a major planning blunder Bureaucrats making these decisions donrsquot seem to understand Mumbairsquos demographics local issues and necessities leading to bad planning Even local corporators and activists who could provide valuable insights are often excluded from planning teamsrdquoMMRDA RespondsldquoMMRDA firmly believes that seamless coordination with all implementing agencies is the cornerstone of successful infrastructure development in MMR Even before planning any project we proactively engage with project implementation agencies to ensure there is no duplication of efforts or conflict in alignment From the detailed project report DPR stage itself we coordinate with civic corporations state and central government departments and statutory authorities to ensure every aspect is comprehensively planned During execution we work closely with utility service providers transport departments and local bodies to manage road closures railway blocks and other logistical aspects with utmost safety and efficiency This collaborative approach ensures that our infrastructure projects are not only wellintegrated and timely but also minimally disruptive and truly beneficial for the people of MMRrdquoOfficials acknowledge gapsOfficials from various planning agencies admit that while flyovers are built to decongest key corridors the lack of integrated planning and stakeholder consultations has led to unintended consequences A senior BMC official speaking anonymously acknowledged ldquoWe recognise the need for better coordination with urban planners and traffic police However consulting stakeholders for every road extension and flyover is impractical and would cause delays Commenting on underconstruction projects at this stage isnrsquot appropriaterdquo A traffic department official highlighted persistent coordination failures ldquoMMRDA and other agencies rarely consult us before executing projects Flyovers end up occupying multiple lanes worsening congestion The SCLR landing near Panbai School and Metro pillars at the BKC connector are prime examples of poor planning Traffic police must be involved in infrastructure planning from the startrdquo