BMC is planning an elevated corridor on the Western Express Highway using cable-stayed bridges. This ambitious access control project is being implemented on the directions of CM Shinde.
Estimated to cost about Rs 5,500 crore, it would involve building elevated corridors over a stretch of 15.3km. The highway’s length is about 25km. The elevated section will consist of three to four single-pier cable-stayed bridges and will be connected to underpasses at junctions.
To execute the project, the BMC will have to dismantle a few existing flyovers and make way for the cable-stayed bridges. This will also help free up space beneath them and create additional lanes underneath on the 25.33-km-long highway.WEH elevated corridor may take 4 yrs to build.
BMC plans to build an ambitious elevated corridor over the congested Western Express Highway. “Tenders will be floated only after preparation of a detailed project report and approval of the government. The project is likely to take four years for completion,” said additional municipal commissioner (Projects) P Velrasu. The DPR is expected to be prepared in the next five to six months.
The project will increase the number of lanes on both carriageways to 14 or 16, including lanes underneath. The building of underpasses is to ensure that vehicles moving from arterial roads onto the highway do not impede movement of vehicles on various lanes. Underpasses will come up at junctions including Kala Nagar, JVLR and Aarey.
A consultant has come up with the concept plan after a techno-economic feasibility study on future traffic projections, taking into account infrastructure projects being implemented and to be taken up in future. The objective of the study was to minimise delays due to congestion on the highway and include pedestrian-friendly facilities.
According to the study, the highway currently has five lanes in each direction. Service roads complement about 50% of the total length. However, the highway has traffic volume ranging from 220,000 to 380,000 passenger car units per day, with peak volume exceeding 10,000 PCU at several junctions, resulting in the severe congestion at several locations.
The concept design features an elevated corridor of 15.3km length between Mahim and Malad, which will be divided into three to four sections on long single-pier cable-stayed bridges. “One flyover is expected to cover about two to three junctions. Currently, the express highway has a total of six lanes on both carriageways of the bridges and four lanes on slip roads adjoining the flyovers, which makes it a total of 10 lanes.
In the concept design, the bridges will have a total of eight lanes and the road beneath and adjoining the bridges, it would either be a total of six lanes or a total of eight lanes, which would take the total number of lanes to 14 or 16 on both carriageways,” said an official.
Barriers to segregate traffic between these long flyovers will be part of the project.”To overcome the problem of cross-direction traffic, underpasses will be built at various junctions and bottlenecks,” the official added. The concept design is tentative and may undergo changes after a detailed project report is prepared. The DPR is expected to be prepared in the next five to six months.
Officials estimate that it would take about four years to implement the project and sequential construction methodology would be followed to ensure minimum obstruction is caused to traffic movement. The upgraded corridor is likely to include pedestrian facilities such as wider sidewalks and landscaped median spaces.