Sion flyover shut from April: Mumbaiites, brace for traffic snarls on Eastern Express Highway

Traffic woes are set to increase for commuters taking the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) as the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) plans to start repair works on the Sion flyover by mid-April.

The MSRDC is set to finalize the tenders by the end of this month, post which the work of replacing 170 bearings on the Sion flyover is set to begin, officials said. The work which will cost about Rs5 crore, will take about six months to be completed, including the monsoon period.

An official from the MSRDC - bridges department, said, “We are aiming to start the work by April 10 or 15. Traffic will have to be shut on the flyover for the repair period.”

The bearings help in controlling movement between the piers and the girders of the bridge. According to officials, a study by the Civil Engineering department, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) said the flyover required remedial measures for its badly damaged bearings and expansion joints.

Constructed in 2000, at a cost of about Rs31 crore, the flyover is an important connector for people travelling towards south Mumbai. The situation will worsen travel for commuters as the public works department is already undertaking the construction of a new bridge at the Amar Mahal junction on the highway.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is also planning to start the work for the Metro-4 (Thane-Wadala-Kasarvadavali) corridor in April. Some lanes of the EEH and the LBS Marg will be barricaded for the metro work leading to increased traffic snarls.