Mumbaikars have something to celebrate for the newly opened Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) – Chunabhatti connector is finally open for business. Four years in the making, the flyover has been under construction for a while. Originating from Bandra Kurla Complex, the flyover is 1.6km stretch and is 17m wide. It stretches up to the Eastern Express Highway and ends near the grounds of the KJ Somaiya Institute. The reason why this is good news for people is that it will cut down commute time by 30 minutes. Not only that, but it will also connect commuters to the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) by giving them direct access to it.
BKC – Chunabhatti Flyover Cuts Down Commute Time
The new BKC-Chunabhatti connector comes at a cost of ₹203 crores. The new flyover is for low motor vehicles only but buses are allowed on it. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on tweeted that the connector will not allow vehicles like trucks, trailers, 2 and 3 wheelers. They also went on to say that they are expecting a lot of traffic on the Chunabhatti as people will not only use it to get to BKC but also use it to get away from the traffic that accumulates in Dharavi and Kalanagar.
In public interest, I declare that BKC-Chunabhatti Connector (flyover) stands open from today evening.
With this, Mumbaikars will now save 30 minutes travel time & avoid traffic congestion at Dharavi and Sion junctions.#Mumbai #mumbaitraffic #flyover #Mumbaikar pic.twitter.com/GvrNDIgOrD
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) November 10, 2019
The connector was supposed to get constructed a while back but missed major deadlines and suffered quite a few setbacks. According to reports, the reason behind the delay was due to the project not getting permissions on time. As the flyover cuts through the Mithi River and also railway lines, the government couldn’t obtain permissions at the due time. 70 slums had to be cleared to connect the two places. Besides that, they also had to get permission from the Somaiya Trust which is a private body.
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After some major delays, NCP’s Nawab Malik created a huge stink about the flyover not being inaugurated on time after which the MMRDA announced that the flyover will be opened to the public on the 9th of November.
All’s well that ends well and now the flyover is functional. So, you can say goodbye to traffic woes!