Mumbai’s Eastern Freeway, which connects P D’Mello Road in South Mumbai to the Eastern Express Highway at Chembur, is now in the news. The route is slowly emerging as the city’s most dangerous road at night due to faulty street lights. Many commuters raised safety concerns, saying the risk of accidents is quite high on this route.
Mumbai’s Eastern Freeway Is Emerging As The Most Dangerous Road In Mumbai
As per a report published in The Free Press Journal, motorists using the Eastern Freeway are struggling with non-functional street lights on several stretches of the road. This signal-free 16.8 km stretch connects South Mumbai from P D’Mello Road to the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road, and is a key route for lakhs of daily commuters travelling to the suburbs. @smitadeshmukh on her X account tagged Mumbai Traffic Police and demanded answers on this ongoing situation.
BMC have not fixed most of the streetlights, especially from Wadala to Chembur, even months after installation. Drivers are experiencing a complete blackout during the night, making it extremely unsafe to travel. A daily user of the freeway told the FPJ that the speed limit is 80 kmph, and with no working lights, the risk of accidents is higher. Another Chembur resident, also a regular on this route, shared that the lights inside the tunnel don’t work either. Moreover, they also added that water collects on the side of the roads during rain.
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Still No Action From BMC
The Eastern Freeway flyover was built by the MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) and was handed over to the BMC for operations and maintenance back in 2015. As per The Free Press Journal, BMC’s Chief Engineer for Bridges, Uttam Shrote, admitted that he is aware the street lights on some sections are not working. He added that tenders for installing and fixing the lights are in process under the mechanical and electrical department. Krishna Perekar, Chief Engineer (Mechanical and Electrical), said no tender has been floated and no street light work is underway.
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This is not the first time the Eastern Freeway has made headlines for the same issue. In July 2023, people also called it one of Mumbai’s most dangerous roads due to faulty street lights.
Cover Image Courtesy: Eastern Freeway (Mumbai), Wikipedia/ Rsrikanth05