Mumbai’s Parel flyover closed after water pipe bursts; traffic snarls up to Dadar

The Parel flyover on Babasaheb Ambedkar Road in central Mumbai was closed for all vehicles on Thursday morning, after a water pipe burst near the entrance of the flyover and flooded the stretch.

Vehicles are now using the busy road below the flyover, which has led to traffic snarls in and around Parel. There’s a backlog now on both ends of the flyover, with a traffic jam extending several kilometres long, all the way to Dadar.

From Arora junction in Matunga, motorists are being asked to take a left turn towards Wadala cross road. There are also diversions at Naigaon cross road, the traffic police said.

Neither civic nor traffic officials could commit on when the flyover would reopen. “We have shut Parel flyover to traffic as of now, until the work is complete. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has not given us an estimate on when work will be completed,” said a traffic police official, who did not wish to be named.

The leakage was reported after 6.30am. “We started repair work immediately,” said Ashok Tawadia, chief engineer, hydraulic department, BMC.

The cause of the leakage has not been determined; no construction work was underway at the spot.

“Water supply to the area will not be affected as the supply timing was in the morning [from 4am to 7am],” Tawadia added.