Mumbai: Rs 918 crore flyover plan for Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road may face another cost hike

MUMBAI: The BMC's Rs 918-crore plan to construct two flyovers connected to the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road (GMLR) could face further cost escalation with the potential addition of a new arm leading to Maharashtra Nagar. While this additional flyover arm is not yet included in the current tender, officials are awaiting the necessary approvals. The project already exceeds the cost of the GMLR, which opened just three years ago and cost over Rs 500 crore.
A BMC official explained that the current proposal includes the construction of Arm-1 and Arm-2 flyovers at T Junction on the Sion-Panvel Highway, Maharashtra Nagar, in M/E Ward. However, an additional arm towards Maharashtra Nagar is also being considered, pending railway permissions. "This arm is not yet part of the project scope and will be added once we obtain the required permissions," the official stated.
Arm-1 of the proposed flyover from GMLR is planned to lead towards Vashi, while Arm-2 will connect Vashi to the GMLR. Ravi Raja, former opposition leader in the BMC, criticized the timing of the new flyover proposal, arguing that it reflects poor planning during the GMLR's construction. "If the need for these two flyovers arises just three years after the GMLR was built, it shows a lack of foresight," he said.
Faiyaz Alam Shaikh, president of the New Sangam Welfare Society NGO in Govandi, expressed concerns about ongoing traffic issues. "We have yet to fully benefit from the GMLR, which opened in 2021," he said. "Heavy vehicles still use the road below the flyover, particularly during late-night hours, causing regular congestion at the Baiganwadi and Shivaji Nagar signals."