Crossing the line
The Pedestrian Grade Separation Scheme aims to make it safer and easier to cross streets, through a series of 27 subways and foot over bridges…Swati soni
It is perhaps the simplest component of the Rs 4,500 crore Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP-I), which envisions bridges, flyovers, subways, new railway stations, trains and dedicated bus lanes across our booming city of over 14 million.
The World Bank had agreed to provide funds for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project, which included improving Railway Transport Systems, improving road networks and pedestrian facilities. Providing a Pedestrian Grade Separator by means of a subway or foot over bridge was one of the components, says Ravindra Waikar, chairperson of the Standing Committee.
To provide safe pedestrian crossings at critical road junctions that have heavy pedestrian traffic, Pedestrian Grade Separator subways will be made at Gadkari Chowk, Siddhivinayak, Shivaji Park Junction and Kataria Junction. Though the original civil works contract started on January 3, 2005 and was to be completed on April 2, 2006, the project was delayed for various reasons.
The delays are mainly due to delayed traffic permissions by the traffic police, delay in diversion of various municipal utilities such as water mains, SWD drains, sewer lines. In addition to that, non-municipal utilities such as BEST cables and MTNL cables also added to the delay. The restrained site space availability and tidal variations have also affected its execution, reveals a source.
swatim.soni@timesgroup.com
It is perhaps the simplest component of the Rs 4,500 crore Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP-I), which envisions bridges, flyovers, subways, new railway stations, trains and dedicated bus lanes across our booming city of over 14 million.
The World Bank had agreed to provide funds for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project, which included improving Railway Transport Systems, improving road networks and pedestrian facilities. Providing a Pedestrian Grade Separator by means of a subway or foot over bridge was one of the components, says Ravindra Waikar, chairperson of the Standing Committee.
To provide safe pedestrian crossings at critical road junctions that have heavy pedestrian traffic, Pedestrian Grade Separator subways will be made at Gadkari Chowk, Siddhivinayak, Shivaji Park Junction and Kataria Junction. Though the original civil works contract started on January 3, 2005 and was to be completed on April 2, 2006, the project was delayed for various reasons.
The delays are mainly due to delayed traffic permissions by the traffic police, delay in diversion of various municipal utilities such as water mains, SWD drains, sewer lines. In addition to that, non-municipal utilities such as BEST cables and MTNL cables also added to the delay. The restrained site space availability and tidal variations have also affected its execution, reveals a source.
swatim.soni@timesgroup.com