IE: Brace for nightmare jams after sea link: May 21, 2009

Mumbai The 5.6 km zip across from Bandra to Worli on the sea link may end in six to seven minutes, but brace for a crawl through the Worli seaface stretch. While planning to commission the much-awaited sea link by mid-June, the authorities are also readying for criticism on the expected bottleneck at the Worli end.To add to that, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has failed to get environmental clearance for the two proposed car decks to avert traffic snarls. The two back-to-back car decks had been proposed on Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan Road at Pratiksha Point and Thadani Junction connecting the sea link.

“Environmental clearance hasn’t been granted for the car decks. The car decks would have had minimum impact on traffic dispersal,” said S M Gavai, vice chairman and managing director, MSRDC.

According to sources, a state-level agency could not clear the proposal; it needed the go-ahead from the Centre. A senior MSRDC official disclosed that getting clearance from the Centre was a lengthy process, which was why it was not pursued.

MSRDC officials estimate that around 5,000 PCUs, or passenger car units, with one car counting as 1 PCU and one bus about 3 PCUs, per hour would use the 5.6 km sea link during peak hours. The MSRDC and the traffic police have worked out a dispersal system. Southbound traffic, after hitting the Worli seaface, can either go via the passport office from Trata Junction, or take a rotary from the junction through the seaface road. Northbound traffic can take a left turn from Love Grove junction, which is currently being widened, and reach the sea link.

Gavai said the traffic management that has been worked out is adequate to cater to the expected traffic. “We expecting that 40 per cent of the mainland traffic would get diverted to the sea link.”

URL: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/brace-for-nightmare-jams-after-sea-link/463224/