Grant Road & Eastern Freeway to be connected by 5.6 km elevated road

The Brihanmumumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to build a 5.6-km-long elevated route that will connect Grant Road with the southernmost terminus of the Eastern Freeway in a significant effort to relieve traffic in Mumbai. According to civic officials, the goal is to connect South Mumbai as a whole through a network of arterial roads in order to eliminate traffic jams and bumper to bumper conditions.

The Eastern Express Highway (EEH) at Chembur in the eastern suburbs and P.D. Mello Road in South Mumbai, just outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminal, are connected by the 17-km-long Eastern Freeway (CSMT). This high-speed freeway cuts down travel time significantly. Since its opening in 2014, the freeway has shortened the distance between South Mumbai and the eastern suburbs. Unfortunately, traffic congestion starts as soon as the highway ends in P.D. Mello Road because there are no other roads accessible for the vehicles to use to travel easily towards downtown Mumbai.

According to P. Velrasu, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects), the new elevated route will start at P.D. Mello Road and travel through the J.J. Flyover to Grant Road on the western side. “This elevated corridor is not a motorway extension; it has been envisioned as a universal project. Those who need to get to Grant Road, Malabar Hill, or Girgaon must currently take Marine Drive as there is no other route accessible at the motorway drop point near P.D. Mello Road.

Velrasu stated that this flyover would offer direct connectivity and be crucial in alleviating traffic congestion around P.D. Mello Road and Colaba. Currently, depending on traffic, it takes 30 to 50 minutes to get from P.D. Mello Road or Colaba to Grant Road. However, Velrasu stated that the trip time will be roughly 6-7 minutes once this bridge is operating.

After the dispersal arm of the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link Road (MTHL) joins the freeway, he claimed, there will be an increase in both vehicular inflow and outflow in South Mumbai over the following few years. This will result in an increased volume of vehicles travelling not only from Mumbai but also from Navi Mumbai. This flyover will have three lanes, according to a traffic analysis done by the BMC. The arterial route has been broken up into four packages and will be 5.6 km long overall. The project’s estimated cost is Rs 7.43 billion, and BMC has set a 36-month timeframe for its completion.