The Mumbai Roads and Flyovers thread went missing during the reorg, so this thread will basically serve the purpose of tracking updates on projects related to Roads including Bridges, Flyovers and Freeways.

x-posting the last couple of posts retrieved from Google's cache.

Freeway won’t spoil heritage view: MMRDA

Source: www.mumbaimirror.com

The city can rest assured that its heritage structures will not be put in the background by the elevated section of the proposed freeway from Colaba to Anik in Wadala.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has told representatives of Asiatic Society that the elevated sections would begin only after the point where the heritage buildings end.

The society had expressed reservations that the freeway, which is supposed to begin at the Prince of Wales Museum and pass through Shahid Bhagat Singh Road and P D’Mello Road before entering the Mumbai Port Trust area would obscure views of Town Hall, Hornbill House, Church of St Andrew and St Columba, Old Customs House, Government Mint, INS Angre and other naval establishments, and the Reserve Bank of India headquarters. All these and several more buildings on this route are heritage structures and the pride of this city.

The Asiatic Society feared that if elevated sections of the freeway come up in front of these buildings, they would be robbed of their grandeur.

On March 4 , Mumbai Mirror had reported the concerns raised by Asiatic Society about the freeway obscuring the city’s heritage structures

The society wrote to the MMRDA about its concerns in the second week of March and sought a meeting with commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad.

A meeting was fixed two weeks ago where Gaikwad assured the society’s members that the proposed 22-km freeway would in no way obstruct the view of the various heritage structures on Shahid Bhagat Singh Road.

He told them that there would be no elevated structure or road widening in the 1.6 km stretch between Prince of Wales Museum and Shahid Bhagat Singh Road.

Secondly, widening of the existing road would begin only after the Dena Bank building at Horniman Circle. The existing road will be widened between Walchand Hirachand Marg and Carnac Bunder.

Elevated sections would begin from Carnac Bunder.

Joint project director (public relations) Dilip Kawathkar told Mumbai Mirror that all necessary precautions have been taken to ensure that the heritage structures are not disturbed in any way and retain their grandeur.

WHAT IS THE FREEWAY ABOUT?

The proposed freeway will provide a high-speed corridor between Colaba and Anik in Wadala. It will start at Prince of Wales Museum, pass through Shahid Bhagat Singh Road and P D’Mello Road before entering the Mumbai Port Trust area. It will take the Anik Panjrapole Link Road and touch the Eastern Express Highway at Wadala. It is estimated to cost Rs 600 crore and is expected to be completed in 36 months.

WHY IT WON’T OBSCURE HERITAGE

There would be no elevated structure or road widening in the 1.6 km stretch between Prince of Wales Museum and Shahid Bhagat Singh Road where most of the heritage structures are located. Widening of the existing road would begin only after the Dena Bank building at Horniman Circle. The existing road will be widened between Walchand Hirachand Marg and Carnac Bunder. Elevated sections would begin from Carnac Bunder.


MM: JVLR gets presidential nod
link (http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&sectid=2&contentid=2008041220080412024115365feb29a1c)


With President Pratibha Patil giving the go-ahead to acquire a part of the Indian Institute of Technology land for widening the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is doing everything it can to speed up work on the project.

A senior MMRDA official said that after several months of negotiations between MMRDA and IIT officials, the matter went to the President whose consent is required as IIT is run by the central government.” The President gave her consent last month enabling MMRDA to acquire the land for road widening,” said the official.


Thought i'd mention it here. Mumbai has around 50 functional flyovers right now. The ones U/C compiled from different sources are-

5 U/C (http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/4244/mumweh2ej7.jpg)on the WEH (Kandivali, Malad, Goregaon, Santa Cruz, Kherwadi)
5 U/C (http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1154407) on Ambedkar road (Byculla, Lalbaug, Parel TT, Dadar TT, Sion)
Navghar (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Now_a_flyover_at_Navghar_junction/articleshow/2817809.cms) flyover on EEW
Suman (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Now_a_flyover_at_Navghar_junction/articleshow/2817809.cms) Nagar flyover
Barfiwalla lane- SV Road
Kurla Flyover
Sahar Elevated road (1.8kms)
Adi Shankaracharya Marg : LBS road
R.C.F. Junction

______

Apr 5: Kurla flyover on track again (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Kurla_flyover_on_track_again/articleshow/2927056.cms)


MUMBAI: Work on the city's first double-decker flyover, coming up near Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Kurla, which adjoins the Santa Cruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR), is finally progressing after some initial delays. The flyover is expected to be ready by the end of next year.

The flyover will be 1.75 km in length and will cost Rs 110 crore. It will connect Sable Nagar near Tilak Terminus to New Tilak Nagar, which is between Hans Bugra Marg and Amar Mahal Junction.




Kandivli west to east in 15 mins (http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&sectid=2&contentid=2008031320080313021303753aa4526f&pageno=1)

Some shanties (in the background, on left) on the eastern end of the Kandivli flyover were blocking construction of the approach road. Last week, the BMC removed the last of the shanties

BMC removes shanty that held up work on flyover for nine years, will make it operational in May

Residents of Kandivli can rejoice as the last of the tenements that had held up work on a flyover connecting the eastern and western parts for over nine years was removed last week. Considering the delay, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished the shanty within an hour of the occupants getting alternative accommodation.

The flyover is almost complete but for the approach road, which could not be built as it necessitated removal of the tenement.

R-South ward assistant municipal commissioner V V Shankarwar said, “Once the occupants were allotted alternative accommodation, we called up the family and gave them an hour to vacate the room. Our staff then took a tempo to help the family shift to their new home at Kandivli (W). As soon as they left, we demolished the structure. We did not want to waste even a single day. The flyover will be made operational in May 2008.”

The tenements were part of a chawl lying at the eastern end of the bridge over the Western Railway line. Apparently, BMC never took the 115 shanties into account while planning the flyover in 1995. Work began in 1996 but was held up in 1999 after residents of the shanties refused to make way for the flyover.

In May 2005, occupants of 107 shanties were given alternative accommodation. Seven more were rehabilitated later but one remained because of a dispute between two parties. The last one was removed last week. Rs 60 crore went into the rehabilitation project.

But it seems to be money well spent. Nishant Chavan, Mahindra & Mahindra employee, says, “It takes me around 45 minutes to reach my office in the east. From May, I expect to make it in just 15 minutes.”

ABOUT THE FLYOVER

The flyover can be reached from Killachand Road (Shanker Lane) in the west. It will lead to Ashok Chakravarty Road and further to Akurli Road in the east. It is 600 metres long, 90 feet wide and cost Rs 9.85 crore.

At present, people have to travel all the way to either Borivli or Malad to cross over from Kandivli west to the east. Alternatively, they can try the Kandivli station railway crossing, which is, however, closed during peak hours in the morning and evening. Incidentally, WR plan to close the crossing once the flyover is operational due the high number of accidents.

Interestingly, a 57-foot high wall will be built on the eastern side as a visibility barrier at the insistence of defence authorities. The adjacent plot belongs to the armed forces who wanted the wall for security reasons.

It takes me around 45 minutes to reach my office in the east. From May, I expect to make it in just 15 minutes.
- Nishant Chavan, M&M employee

I am very happy because I have to travel from east to the west every day, sometimes twice. Also, this flyover will be boon for those facing a medical emergency. And, in case of a fire, the fire engines will reach here quickly
- Usha Patel, housewife

Airport Road flyover U/C on the WEH - looks like another 4x4 flyover

Apr 10
Copyright madpai
http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/3516/240647258168b17b555bbhw4.jpg

wow nice pic IU. Any idea whats up with the Sahar Elevated road?

MMRDA moves to make JVLR a safer road (http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1162104)

Almost a year-and-a-half after the World Bank pointed out to the increasing number of accidents on the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is working towards making the link road safer.

MMRDA will implement the World Bank safety audit on the 10.8km road, which has since 2002 witnessed 260 accidents resulting in 41 deaths. MMRDA has proposed to construct foot over bridges (FOBs) at Majas Depot Ganesh Visarjan Talaov in Jogeshwari, Greenfield Society-Poonam Nagar junction of Jogeshwari, Powai Lake Boating Club, Pachpoli Municipal School, Ramashram Powai, Ajahara shopping centre, Panchkutir Powai, Hiranandani Gardens and Tagore Nagar at Vikhroli.

MMRDA recently completed signal installations and has come out with a Rs12-crore proposal to set up the FOBs, erect road signages and do markings. Traffic police have been asked to declare the speed limits and no parking areas.

Traffic police recently detected 1,300 cases of illegal parking in a span of just three months. It has also asked for relocation of garbage bins, rectification of Tunga Village approach and fitting of median blocks to demarcate west-bound traffic from north of Seepz flyover.

DMRC to undertake feasibility of tunnel from Haji Ali to Marine Drive

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is taking a keen interest in infrastructure projects in the island city .

After helping the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in developing plans for the Mumbai Metro, it will undertake a feasibility study to develop an underground tunnel linking Haji Ali to Nariman Point.

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/4582/hanpgp8.jpg

The tunnel is part of the proposed Western Freeway Sealink Project floated by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). The project envisages connecting the Worli-end of the Bandra-Worli Sealink to Nariman Point with a dispersal link connecting Cuffe Parade.

"A contract has been signed whereby the DMRC will undertake a feasibility study for a tunnel from Priyadarshini Park to Nariman Point. DMRC Chairman E. Sreedharan has taken a special interest in the project," MMRDA Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad said.
[HT]

Peddar Road flyover gets environment clearance


The state government's plan to build the Peddar Road flyover got a boost on Friday as the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority cleared the proposal and forwarded it to the Centre for approval.

The state plans to build a four lane viaduct (elevated road) from Haji Ali to Vallabh Pant Chowk along Peddar Road to ease traffic.

The MSRDC is building the same. The area is close to the sea and hence falls under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) formed to protect ecologically fragile areas.

As per the CRZ norms, the Ministry of Environment and Forest has to issue clearance for infrastructural projects costing more than Rs 5 crore. However, such projects need a nod from the state's environment authority.
[HT]

what about the most crucial approval of Lata Mangeshkar?

DMRC to undertake feasibility of tunnel from Haji Ali to Marine Drive


[HT]



What the?!! MSRDC is supposed to be handling this and the consultant will be appointed on May 17th. Where did MMRDA come from? Left hand does not know about right hand again?!!!


Peddar Road flyover gets environment clearance


[HT]

what about the most crucial approval of Lata Mangeshkar?

This is part of the consultant's job. Lets see what they come up with.

What the?!! MSRDC is supposed to be handling this and the consultant will be appointed on May 17th. Where did MMRDA come from? Left hand does not know about right hand again?!!!



This is part of the consultant's job. Lets see what they come up with.

This is what i am referring to.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/DMRC-to-study-feasibility-of-Haji-AliMarine-Drive-tunnel/307727/
MSRDC says its own consultant for Western Freeway Sea Link Project already studying all options

In an attempt to find an alternative to the long-pending construction of the Pedder Road flyover, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has “volunteered” to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed underground tunnel from Haji Ali to Marine Drive.

“The DMRC chief E Sreedharan has volunteered to conduct a study and submit a report on the feasibility of a tunnel, which is being looked at as an alternative for the Haji Ali-Marine Drive connectivity,” said Metropolitan Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad.

However, Public Works Department minister Anil Deshmukh, also chief of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) which is building the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (for which the Pedder Road flyover or the tunnel would be an essential dispersal system), said the DMRC study will be conducted conducted “independently” even while an MSRDC study is underway.

Skywalk @ Bandra
Copyright: http://mumbai-eyed.blogspot.com/

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/4516/skywalkaf7.jpg

Work starts on Eastern Freeway
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Work_starts_on_Eastern_Freeway/articleshow/3089415.cms


MUMBAI: Work on one of the road projects that Mumbai is looking forward to, the 22-km Eastern Freeway, has started. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) early this week started laying the foundation for the road that is likely to throw open the hitherto-closed eastern waterfront for development besides giving Mumbai's central and eastern suburbs a quicker access to the island city.

The Eastern Freeway, from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Museum (formerly Prince of Wales) to the Eastern Express Higway at Anik-Wadala, will be a high-speed corridor that will enable motorists to traverse the entire distance in 20 minutes. Motorists now travelling northeastward from Fort take the D N Road-J J Flyover-Dr B R Ambedkar Road route to reach Sion, which takes almost an hour. So the Eastern Freeway will save nearly 40 minutes and also take the pressure off the existing roads, officials feel.

The freeway will be ready by December 2010 and is estimated to cost Rs 531 crore. It is being funded under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission; the Centre will bear 35 per cent of the cost, the state 15 per cent and the MMRDA the remaining 50 per cent.

MMRDA chief engineer S Nandgirikar said the agency had obtained a no-objection certificate from the Mumbai Port Trust to carry out the work during monsoon. But the initial work, laying of the pile foundation, involves digging, trenching and boring and will affect traffic on the narrow MbPT road. "They put certain conditions so that port traffic was not disrupted. But the road will be an elevated structure from CST to Anik-Wadala Link Road (a distance of nearly 8.9 kilometres)," Nandgirikar said. The elevated road will affect around 60 structures, belonging to the MbPT and spread over a length of 2 kilometres, near Carnac Bunder and they will have to be demolished. "Most of these buildings were leased out and the MbPT recently carried out a survey and found that most of the leases had expired. So there should not be a problem in demolishing them," he said. The MMRDA has also had to raise the height of the elevated structure from 5.5 metres to 6.5 metres so that it does not affect the port railway network.

"The existing MbPT road will be improved but will not be open to civilian traffic. This will move on the elevated road," Nandgirikar said.

Where did MMRDA come from? Left hand does not know about right hand again?!!!

Ludicrous planning. I am guessing that E.Sreedharan offered Ratnakar Gaikwad (MMRDA honcho) to conduct the feasibility of the tunnel while he was discussing plans to set up the MMRC. One of the reasons for the offer could be that he didn't want the alignment/depth of the tunnel planned by MSRDC's consultant to upset MMRC's metro plans.


Work starts on Eastern Freeway
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Work_starts_on_Eastern_Freeway/articleshow/3089415.cms

Awesome

from TOI's epaper, the alignment of the freeway:

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/9888/pc0021200gu1.jpg

Skywalk @ Bandra
Copyright: http://mumbai-eyed.blogspot.com/

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/4516/skywalkaf7.jpg

I hope this gets used enough. Ive seen most indian people are lazy to climb up, and less lazy to use an underpass/subway. I guess constructing a subway is more expensive even though it might be used more often than a skywalk especially at road crossings..

Is this going to be an access controlled expressway?

Is this going to be an access controlled expressway?

I believe so. It's mentioned along with the Western freeway which as you might know will be access controlled in MMRDA's regional transportation plan (www.regionalplan-mmrda.org/N-11.pdf).

Skywalk @ Bandra
Copyright: http://mumbai-eyed.blogspot.com/

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/4516/skywalkaf7.jpg

lol i can't believe they're actually making it. this is going to look so stupid. a long bridge above crowded, filthy laneless streets in a badly organized city. just imagine how dirty and nasty this this is going to get and how bad its going to look above an even dirtier street shown in the picture above.

lol i can't believe they're actually making it. this is going to look so stupid. a long bridge above crowded, filthy laneless streets in a badly organized city. just imagine how dirty and nasty this this is going to get and how bad its going to look above an even dirtier street shown in the picture above.

I wonder if they have an idea of what mumbai should/would look like 10 years down the line...

When will we have mass demolitions and 12 lane highways and 8 lane roads with wide sidewalks and landscaping?

A skywalk here and a flyover there will barely meet the demands of todays mumbai...you will soon have them EVERYWHERE...imagine how ugly skywalks and flyovers will look everywhere.

I cant accept that politicians can be this stupid and short sighted when they also spend extra to have the beautiful BWSL...it simply has to do with the democratic process.

The metro will decongest roads to a large extent but it still wont be enough...the number of vehicles on the roads will grow explosively with the rising per capita incomes.

I guess new businesses will start to move outside of mumbai to the navi mumbai and mahamumbai sezs...

That means a monster metro but fewer skyscrapers lol

I used to cringe at the jingoism that many of us display but now i think it will go a long way in land acquisition 5 years from now when people begin to see the changes from the economic reforms all around them and they begin to see the big picture and the macroeconomic implications of giving up their lands.Im sure they will sacrifice their own self interest to an extent for the rapid development of india.I hope the government cashes in on the jingoism in the years to come:lol:

I believe so. It's mentioned along with the Western freeway which as you might know will be access controlled in MMRDA's regional transportation plan (www.regionalplan-mmrda.org/N-11.pdf).

Thanks!

The Skywalk will be the ugliest structure in Mumbai ever built. I do not know who lets these babus decide what they want to do and I don't have any clue why do these babus come up with the silliest ideas!

The Skywalk will be the ugliest structure in Mumbai ever built. I do not know who lets these babus decide what they want to do and I don't have any clue why do these babus come up with the silliest ideas!

that area is already ugly so an ugly skywalk will do no harm. atleast it will decongest the area.

.....atleast it will decongest the area.

Only if they are put into good use by people.

There are subways in Borivali by borivali station (I am talking the one right opposite the Borivali station) Not many people use it. Here's one idea: Put escalators in all the subway. The new technique will draw people's attention and it will be also useful for people who are to lazy to climb stairs.

Update on the bridge

MMRDA fails to meet June 10 deadline


http://www.mid-day.com/image/image_gallery?img_id=1178680
WORK IN PROGRESS: The Bandra sky walk is likely to be inaugurated on June 18. PIC/NARENDRA DANGIYA

After failing to complete the sky walk at Bandra on January 26, this year, officials of Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) had promised to deliver the sky walk on June 10. However, as you might have guessed, they failed to meet the deadline yet again.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was set to inaugurate the city’s first skywalk that connects Bandra (E) station to Kalanagar, stretching 1.8 km and constructed at a cost of Rs 10 crore, at 3.30 pm today. However, the inauguration ceremony has been postponed by another five days.

Blame the rains

MMRDA officials said that the final stages of construction were halted due to heavy rains. An engineer from MMRDA said, “The rainwater causes short circuits that might prove life threatening for the workers.” MMRDA blames the rains for the five-day delay in completing the sky walk, else they believe, the sky walk could have opened for the public by June 15.

MMRDA Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikawad confirmed the stoppage in work. “We have asked the contractor to stop work. We have postponed the CM’s inauguration function by another five days and hope to complete the work by then.”

Presently, 95 per cent of work on the skywalk has been completed, barring connections of tube lights and other electrical fittings. The skywalk has seen a number of deadlines and each time the project has been delayed owing to several reasons. The MMRDA and BMC together have decided to construct 50 skywalks throughout Mumbai and its metropolitan region.

Source: Mid-day.com (http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/news/mumbai/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1179117&_EXT_5_groupId=14)

wait, it looks like that bridge thing is going to be surrounded by glass. it might actually end up looking pretty good

does anyone has recent pics of the skywalk.
Just waiting to see how it would look.

Otherwise lets wait till june 18th, and it may surely come up as a National news item...:cheers:

The skywalk is here, but...Will you use it?

Author: Shashank Rao Date: 20 Jun 2008

It cost Rs 10 crore to build. But when Shashank Rao took a walk down the Bandra skywalk, which will finally open on June 26, he came away wondering why anyone would use it.


THE FIRST CHOICE? This 1.3-km skywalk, Mumbai’s first, will connect Bandra station (east) to Kalanagar. Pic/Sayed Sameer Abedi
WALK OF LIFE: The width of the Bandra skywalk is just four metres, which means it accommodates six people shoulder-to-shoulder at one time. pic/Sayed Sameer Abedi


http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/524/imagegallerywx1.jpg

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/9821/imagegallery1jf9.jpg


Mumbai’s first skywalk from Bandra station (east) to Kalanagar will open to the public on June 26. But this reporter found several reasons why Mumbaikars wouldn’t opt for the Rs 10-crore skywalk…

Transport

Currently, people catch an auto or bus from Bandra station to reach BKC. Getting public transport will become difficult if they use the skywalk and come out at Kalanagar. The buses are already packed when they reach the Kalanagar stop. It is also rare to see an empty auto in the area. A transport expert feels commuters will be discouraged from using the skywalk unless there is better public transport at Kalanagar.

Stairs

There are approximately 20 stairs at each entry and exit point. Add to this the stairs one has to anyway climb from the Bandra station platforms to reach the first point of the skywalk and you have a major deterrent.

Space crunch

The MMRDA expects at least 80,000 people to use this skywalk in a day. But the width of the skywalk is just four metres, which accommodates six people across at one time. An MMRDA official, however, assured, “There will be enough space for people to walk, as there won’t be any hawkers to block the way.”

No punitive action

Also it is not mandatory for people to use this skywalk. A senior MMRDA official said, “The skywalk will ensure safe walking above the busy traffic, but we cannot force people to use it. They might still continue walking on roads.”

4
Number of entry and exit points — Bandra (E), Anant Kanekar Marg police chowkie, Western Express Highway and Kalanagar

500 m
The longest stretch with no exit point — between Anant Kanekar Marg and Western Express Highway

50
The number of other proposed skywalks, which includes the ones at Kanjurmarg, Masjid, CST and Churchgate

The silver lining

The total length of skywalk is 1.3 km. If you use the road for the same stretch, you will be walking a distance of nearly 1.5 km


VOICES

I’ll use it only if it’s raining. I don’t think it is of any use otherwise. What is the point of walking till Kalanagar and then waiting for a bus or auto? I would rather do the same from Bandra station itself.

Santosh Puplonde
Service

The government is constructing this skywalk just to attract offices at BKC. There is hardly any water logging or traffic jams on this stretch.

Manish Tank
Service

I will use the skywalk only if it is not crowded.

Jamshed Khan
Student

Source: Mid-day.com (http://www.mid-day.com/web/guest/news/mumbai/article?_EXT_5_articleId=1191862&_EXT_5_groupId=14)

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2008/06/20/006/20_06_2008_006_002.jpg

There are already three reasons why people won't use the Rs 13.63-crore Bandra (E) skywalk. Here's the fourth one.

The MMRDA will soon begin construction on an elevated autorickshaw deck (a flyover of sorts) parallel to the under-construction skywalk to ease traffic and commuter congestion on the road.

The elevated deck will start from Anant Kanekar Marg police chowkie (a three-minute walk from Bandra station) and end at exactly the same spot where the skywalk ends a few metres away on the other side of the road a total distance of 300 m.

Now, the MMRDA had planned to move most of the existing autorickshaw stand near the FOB of Bandra station to Kalanagar. So, commuters had to use the 1.3 km skywalk to get a rickshaw, which will not be necessary any more. The skywalk will open on June 26.
This elevated auto deck will cost Rs 30 crore. Dilip Kawatkar, joint project director, MMRDA, confirmed the move.

Other reasons

MiD DAY had earlier identified other important shortcomings in the skywalk.

Stairs: There are at least 20 stairs (approx) on each entry and exit point of the skywalk.
No punitive action: There is punishment for people using the skywalk.

Space crunch: The width of this skywalk is just four metres, which accommodates six people across, at any point of time. MMRDA expects at least 80,000 people to use this skywalk in a day.

Source: Mid-day.com (http://mid-day.com/news/2008/jun/240608city6.htm)

Civic, Transport Agencies Join Hands With Mumbai Police And Come

Up With A Nine-Point Plan To Speed Up Traffic
Sharad Vyas | TNN


Mumbai: The state government has asked several agencies, which work on the city’s traffic problems, to work out a plan so that you can have a faster
road commute between home and office.


These agencies — the BMC, the MMRDA, the MSRDC, Mumbai Police and the BEST Undertaking — have already put their heads together and come up with a nine-point proposal that will improve the speed at which traffic moves in Mumbai.

The state government’s anxiety is understandable, say officials. The city’s vehicular population, which at present is 5 lakh, is projected to cross the million mark by 2011. The RTOs in Mumbai issue around 1,000 driving licences and around 400 new vehicles are registered in the city every day.

The maximum speed limit for both Western Express Highway and Eastern Express Highway is 60 kmph but motorists say the figure is a joke during morning and evening peak hours. But officials say the nine measures they have prescribed, if implemented, can increase the average traffic speed by at least 10 kmph.

Some of the nine measures, officials admit, are old plans. At least one of these — the proposal for an inland water transport scheme — is tied up in reams of red tape. And some of the other measures, like having dedicated lanes for BEST buses on Western Express Highway and Eastern Express Highway for a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), have been discussed before and still await implementation.

“But an honest implementation of even the other plans will work wonders on the road,’’ a senior state government official, involved in the planning process, said. “Besides, work on several of these projects — like Mumbai Metro — have already started and will be completed in a timebound manner,’’ he added. Mumbai Metro and the monorail are projects that officials are relying on heavily to minimise the load on the overburdened road and railway networks.

Even the piece-meal implementation of these nine plans has started yielding results, claim officials. Take, for instance, the plan to reduce parking on some of Mumbai’s major thoroughfares during the morning and evening rush hours. “Doing away with parking on arterial routes is already being implemented in several areas and the results are encouraging; this gives much more space to the carriageway,’’ joint commissioner of police (traffic) Sanjay Barve said.

The construction of skywalks in congested areas is one more plan on the ninepoint agenda that is already being implemented. The first of these, from Kalanagar to the Bandra railway station, is nearing completion. “These skywalks will reduce congestion on roads, leaving the carriageway for exclusive use by vehicles, and also minimise the risk that pedestrians face,’’ MSRDC managing director Satish Gavai said.

“We are hoping that these projects will reduce the number of accidents on the road and instil a sense of traffic sense in people’s mind,’’ transport commissioner S S Shinde said.

The other proposals, which have been passed on to the state government for its need, include reforms in the traffic system (see graphic).

Officials, however, admitted that most of the big projects had been delayed because of successive governments’ neglect. “The focus has more often been on improving the rural transport network,’’ a senior MMRDA official admitted.

THE AGENCIES

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation | The civic agency is responsible for most of Mumbai’s roads and no plan to speed up traffic can be implemented without its participation.

Mumbai Police | Its traffic wing has to ensure that traffic flows freely; it also punishes people who violate rules.

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority | The MMRDA is heavily into planning for solutions to reduce the city’s traffic woes. Many of Mumbai’s arterial roads and flyovers are MMRDA projects; it is also handling other big projects like the Mumbai Metro.

Mumbai State Road Development Corporation |
The agency is behind some of the key transport projects like the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking |
It runs all the buses in Mumbai. THE PLANS | A few of these nine plans have been discussed in the past and some are already being implemented
RESTRICT PARKING ON MAIN ROADS
The traffic police has already started implementing this plan in parts of the city and the suburbs to reduce travel time on some of Mumbai’s arterial roads by increasing space on the carriageway. This, in turn, will be done by restricting parking on these roads during peak hours. This is being implemented between Mahim Church and Siddhivinayak right now. Cops also have plans to restrict parking within 30 metres of important junctions to minimise congestion.


ENHANCING PENALTY FOR TRAFFIC VIOLATION

The traffic police is currently seeking legal opinion on enhancing punishment for the more serious violations like drunken driving and habitual offenders. A hike in punishment, feel officials, could act as a bigger deterrent.

TAKING PARKING UNDERGROUND

The BMC has proposed underground parking lots at 21 places across the city. The project, slated to be completed in two years, will decongest areas in and around the parking lots. Some of the locations selected for this are Flora Fountain, Nariman Point and Crawford Market and areas between Bandra and Vile Parle.

LET TRAFFIC COPS KEEP THE FINE

Fines collected by the traffic police are now passed on to the state government. The new proposal seeks to retain this amount with the traffic police so that it can be pumped back into
the force for its modernisation.

SKYWALKS

Both the MMRDA and the MRDS have carried out pre-feasibility studies for skywalks at 50 different in the city and the entire plan is likely to cost Rs 600 crore. Getting pedestrians off the road will give vehicles more space; pedestrians, at the same time, will benefit by getting dedicated paths for themselves and this will minimise chances of mishaps. The MMRDA will foot the bill for the project and will construct 32 of the skywalks; the remaining will be constructed by the MSRDC. A consultant has been appointed to prepare the design and the first of these skywalks, which is nearing completion, will serve Bandra (E).

MONORAIL

The proposed monorail lines will run from Wadala and Chembur and from Wadala to Jacob Circle. The plan is to, later, extend the Jacob Circle line to Malabar Hill. Another line, a third, will come up and run from Wadala to the BKC. The cost of the project is approx Rs 85 crore per kilometre. The agencies are also considering making the Hutatma Chowk-Ghatkopar route a monorail line instead of Metro. The other route being examined for monorail viability, instead of Metro, runs from Ghatkopar to Mulund.

DIGITISE TRAFFIC DATA

There is a proposal to make a provision in the state budget for digitising data of driving licences and registration figures. This will make it difficult for rogue drivers, with suspended licences, to hit the road again with duplicate licences from a different RTO.

DEDICATED BUS LANES

There are plans to have dedicated corridors, between the island city and the western and eastern suburbs, for BEST buses. BEST, MMRDA and BMC, besides the traffic wing of Mumbai Police, will have to work together to make this a reality.

INLAND WATER TRANSPORT

The MSRDC is planning to start a ferry service from Jamshedji Bunder to Nerul and from Versova to Nariman Point. The plans are to have several stops on both the routes so that it can take the load off road and rail transport. The project, however, is not moving forward right now because of a problem with the implementing agency.



It's the dedicated bus lanes plan which should give people the jitters , I suffered through it in Delhi but sincierly hope mumbai is not another victim of outdated planning.

all other stuff sounds great as usual but no concrete time frames has been given

http://www.ndtvkhabar.com/MoreVideos.aspx?video=32030&status=tru

this link is to a video about foot bridge in mumbai this won't be avalable for long so be quick sorry if it's in a wrong thread...


:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

some pics and info on the 1st skywalk from an article in HT:

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/681/77823627yh0.jpg


http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/7964/43985874yg6.jpg

Route
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/6586/copy2of1lq5.jpg

Bandra station:
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/2860/71562721gu2.jpg

Wow!! looks pretty decent. Still room for some pimp work.

The article mentions "Water drips from the roof"...What about water coming from the sides? Especially with the high wind u r gonna be all drenched...I thought it was going to be all covered from sides and top...bad

Escalators needed here...please...

Its a good idea but i am worried about the structural integrity of the skywalk. If heavy vehicles make it vibrate how is it going to handle the rehabilitated hawkers. Once that's done i wonder if there is going to be any space to walk. Its like moving the chaos from ground to elevated level.:bash:

WOW! what a superb idea! looks graceful...
And I dont think its a matter of concern that the skywalk vibrates when vehicles pass beneath. It is not good making the structure too rigid. It does look sound, neat and elegant.

did anybody watch the video i posted about the skywalk????:ohno:

:weird::weird::weird::weird::weird::weird:

My ten paisas!!

It looks ugly. If they are making 49 more of these then at least they could have made them prettier, better colour and better protection against rain and wind.

1. They need to have exits at every major location for optimum usage and to avoid stampede.
2. No potted plants PLEASE! Those will only consume space and make it look uglier due to lack of maintenance. Instead they should replace them with dustbins.
3. I would hate to see street vendors and beggars taking most of the space.
4. I would like to see it disabled friendly.
5. They can make some money by putting ads strategically, public phones etc.
6. If this structure fails and causes injury to the public then I support life sentence to the designers, contractors and the people who approved it.
7. In one of the pictures the angle of stairs looks too steep. May be it’s the angle of the camera but if it is not then I would like designers to look at it again.
8. They need to cover the railings from the floor up to the first pipe atleast. They can use metal mesh, or the same material the roof is made of. That would prevent small kids, trash, street dogs (sigh) and luggage of commuters accidentally falling on the busy street below.
9. It would be nice to have a PA system (aint the biggest priority)
10. Last but not the least; they need to have a lot of “Break glass in case of emergency” boxes with big guns. Just in case of an attack by zombies :D

^^^^

I wish there was an easier way for us to forward our concerns to someone who is ready to listen instead of being adamant about it!!!

BTW below is the Renderings i got from mumbaipluses.com
http://cms.mumbaimirror.com/portalfiles/18/1/200804/Image/180408/fig70.jpg

If the above rendering were official then i am seriously pissed. they didnt deliver what they promised.
http://www.mumbaipluses.com/DombivaliKalyanplus/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=1&contentid=200804192008041815300454679573c7a&sectxslt=&comments=true

The skywalk looks very simple. The floor tiles used is already looking dirty and of low quality on the first day itself.
They could have improved by shielding the sides with glass and using much more better color scheme. The roof could be improved by putting in tinted glasses.
Anyways, i think this is a good learning experience guys, and am sure that the upcoming Skywalks would definitely be much better than this.

supposedly some of the roof blew off on the first day itself. could be fatal for someone below. this is such a poorly executed project its unbelievable

any idea where is the second skywalk going to start.
am sure MMRDA has plenty of improvements to make before starting that work.

^ ^
OK so let see what we have so far.
blown roof the first day.
shaking structure..

I hope you are right because they will make 49 more of this thing.

Separate Lanes for Buses on Highways

Alarmed by the recent spate of accidents on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH), the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) has felt the need to have a dedicated lane for BEST and private buses.

The EEH and Western Express Highway (WEH) will now be segregated for buses with dividers instead of the red-coloured, plastic, cone-shaped pyramids that presently adorn these highways. Dividers will be placed on the left side lanes on both highways.

Ratnakar Gaikwad, metropolitan commissioner, says, "We will start work on the WEH and EEH in some time. Work will begin from Sion to Thane on EEH and Bandra to Dahisar on WEH."

Benefits

A dedicated lane for buses will help prevent vehicles from cutting lanes apart from giving buses their own space for plying. MMRDA's executive committee had taken a decision in May to appoint a private consultant to study the viability of dedicated lanes for buses on these highways.

Red-coloured pyramids were placed on 500 m stretches at Godrej junction in Vikhroli on the EEH. They will now be replaced with dividers with work likely to commence in July. The MMRDA feels motorists are comfortable driving with dividers on the road rather than the pyramids.

Mid-day.com (http://www.mid-day.com/news/2008/jul/010708news5.htm)

supposedly some of the roof blew off on the first day itself. could be fatal for someone below. this is such a poorly executed project its unbelievable

Nah, very believable.Wot to say?

supposedly some of the roof blew off on the first day itself. could be fatal for someone below. this is such a poorly executed project its unbelievable

Its a miracle that they even managed to execute it.

A Tale of Two Highways

Get set for stand-still jams on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) at the Priyadarshini Park junction. Three lanes on the EEH have been barricaded on a trial basis to see how traffic will be affected during the construction of a pillar on the highway for the Suman Nagar flyover.

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and the Traffic Police placed 26 barrels on each side of EEH yesterday. While 12 barrels block one-and-a-half lanes of the road going towards Sion, 14 barrels block the lane towards Ghatkopar.

An MSRDC official said, "We are doing this on a trial basis to get a feel of the situation."

EEH will be further choked tomorrow when another half lane will be blocked on the road going towards Sion. "On Wednesday two lanes of the road will be blocked. We hope to control traffic, but are expecting a lot of problems," said a senior traffic cop.

One lane will remain closed for the entire week for traffic towards Ghatkopar. MSRDC will start barricading the roads using tin sheets once they are granted permission from the traffic department. "We expect to get permission within two days," added the MSRDC official.

Scene on WEH

Meanwhile, MSRDC will allow vehicular traffic on three lanes of the Airport flyover from today. Work on the rest of the six-lane flyover will start after the monsoon and will be completed by March next year.

Source: Mid-day

Its a miracle that they even managed to execute it.

I am still hopeful that the future skywalks would be better than this one.
anyways, inorder to have a decent skywalk or any construction i think it should be developed by a private builder or contractor, so that atleast we can have someone responsible.

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/mumbai-eastern-freeway-project-gets-underway_10072847.html
he Maharashtra government Thursday announced the launch of the Rs.5.3 billion ($126 million) eastern freeway project (EFP) to provide a direct link to the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) and south Mumbai. Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) joint director D. Kawathkar announced here that the EFP work got underway with the completion of four pillars at the Nawab Tank Overbridge in south Mumbai today.

Once completed, the 22-km-long EFP will drastically reduce travel time between Colaba in south Mumbai and the eastern suburbs like Ghatkopar and Mulund, he added.

The EPF, part of the Mumbai urban infrastructure project, will also include a sub-road adjacent to the existing Mumbai Port Trust road to enable quick movement of heavy vehicles that converges to the wholesale markets and trading areas in the southern parts of the city.

The four-lanes EFP, which starts near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum, will go on to the Mumbai Port Trust road before joining the EEH via the Anik-Panjrapole link road, near Wadala, a distance of 12 km. Of these, 9 km will be elevated.

The second phase will link the Anik-Panjrapole link road with Ghatkopar suburb, affording easy access with time saving to the people living in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai.

^^^

Cool....

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/Economy/Infrastructure/JVLR_Phase-II_clears_bottleneck_enters_final_lap/articleshow/3252406.cms

JVLR Phase-II clears bottleneck, enters final lap

MUMBAI : The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has finally managed to overcome one of the last hurdles in the completion of the 11.3-km Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR). An MMRDA team on Friday razed the gurudwara opposite Indian Institute of Technology, Powai, to facilitate road widening work in the second phase.

This was one of the major bottlenecks for the project, MMRDA officials said. The gurudwara, spread over 6,000 sq ft, was a major cause for traffic congestion on this road which is one of the key components of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP).

“A new gurudwara will come at Hari Om Nagar in Powai, for which land has been allocated to the concerned committee,” MMRDA additional metropolitan commissioner and MUTP project director Milind Mhaiskar said.

Mr Mhaiskar said that the gurdwara was a major hurdle in the second phase of the JVLR between Larsen & Toubro junction and Gandhinagar junction. “MMRDA’s work in razing the 45-year-old gurudwara became easier due to continuous engagements with members of the Sikh community.

While the existing gurudwara was spread across 6,000 sq ft, the new gurudwara at Hari Om Nagar will be constructed on
6,500 sq ft, which has been acquired by MMRDA under Transfer of Development Rights. The committee will also be paid Rs 48 lakh for construction of the gurdwara.

The first and third phase of the JVLR has been completed, and the razing of the gurudwara marks a significant development in the second phase which will be completed soon, said Mr Mhaiskar.

Meanwhile, the MMRDA has begun work on the Eastern Freeway that will ensure smooth traffic and reduce travel time from Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum, Colaba, to Ghatkopar, an MMRDA spokesperson said.

http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/964/87965731ja6.jpg

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/5570/88242181an1.jpg

This bridge in Malaysia reminds me of the Skywalk in Bombay.... A video shot taken from a movie.

Don't know if this is the right forum, but this is the closest that i could find. Is this the beginning of the end of DMRC's involvement in bombay projects? They are out of the tunnel study, the monorail is on, the bandra-colaba metro is off, and the remaining metros are once again being developed by private entities via the PPP model.

DMRC backs out of tunnel study (http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&sectid=35&contentid=200807212008072104021046555f5c2d)

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which was to conduct a feasibility study for the central Mumbai- Nariman Point tunnel, is no longer carrying out the survey, an official said.

"No specific reason was given. Now, an engineering firm Arup has taken up the survey," said Anil Deshmukh, Public Works Department (Projects) Minister

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/9233/23639911at4.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

Next on city skywalk trail: A hawkers’ plaza

MUMBAI’S first skywalk with a hawkers’ plaza is expected to be ready within six months, officials said on Wednesday.
The skywalk, a portion of which is to be reserved for hawkers displaced by other infrastructure projects, will be constructed in the north-east suburb of Kanjurmarg, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) officials said .
The 222-metre-long structure will extend from Kanjurmarg station to the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road and is expected to be the first of the 23 other similar structures to be built in the city. The Kanjurmarg skywalk, which will be seven metres wide and is expected to house about 74 hawker stalls, will be made by J Kumar Infrastructure, authorities said.
The city’s first skywalk was built in Bandra and opened to pedestrians in June. Fifty more skywalks are proposed in the Mumbai metropolitan region.
MMRDA, the nodal body for infrastructure projects in the city and surrounding areas, has allocated Rs 600 crore for 30 skywalks it plans to build. The places where the proposed skywalks will come up are areas like Worli Naka, Senapati Bapat Marg (Tulsi Pipe Road) and Prabhadevi.
All of them will be operated by private parties on a build-operate-transfer basis for 10 years. The agency also intends to provide automatic escalators on some of them. The foundation stone was laid by the general manager of Central Railways, Soumya Raghavan.

source economictimes epaper

The following is too long an article. But it is quite interesting.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleImage.aspx?article=25_07_2008_004_001&mode=1

In the article, its mentioned about a civil engineer named Sudhir Badami. I had signed up for the Road Volunteer Group (Link (http://groups.google.com/group/mumbairoadsvolunteer?hl=en)) and I recieved an email from Sudhir Badami (who might be a part of the group) a few months back about some upcoming function. I actually had emailed him about the conditions of roads in Mumbai. Haven't got any replies from him since then.

The following is too long an article. But it is quite interesting.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleImage.aspx?article=25_07_2008_004_001&mode=1


The link is not displaying the article. i think its an epaper and its not possible to link a page from outside.

Anyways, if you have the article can you please paste it here.

Yeah I see that... It was working fine for me yesterday and I was able to view the link even when not logged in.

Anyways, here's the Article.

THE FIGURES sure are impressive.

Rs 650 crore budgeted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for building new roads in 2008.

Rs 4,500 crore for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP-I), which envisions bridges, flyovers, subways, new railway stations, trains and dedicated bus lanes for our ever-growing metropolis.

And Rs 43,000 crore spent on big-ticket infrastructure projects from 2004 to 2007.

So why can't we build good roads when we spend so much on them?

The official defence from R A Rajeev, Additional Municipal Commissioner, BMC is: "We do not have a magic wand. Things cannot change overnight. It takes 12 to 18 months for projects to be completed."

The BMC, India's richest corporation, has a Rs 16,000 crore budget this year. Which means the Rs 650 crore it has to spend on road construction is just 0.4% of the total budget. Oh yes, it also shells out Rs 25 crore for pre-monsoon road works (read, filling up of potholes, most of which should not have been there in the first place).

Clearly, money can't buy us good roads in Mumbai, the city where everything is said to have its price.

So where does all this money go?

Towards sub-standard materials, shoddy work and maintenance that comes too late - if you ask the experts.

"There are gaping holes in both the road work and maintenance system," declares N V Mirani. He should know. The road expert heads the Standing Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) on roads, appointed by the High Court to give recommendations on improving Mumbai's road conditions. "Contractors look for short cuts and compromise on quality, which is a well-known phenomenon."

Another expert, Sudhir Badami, a civil engineer and former member of a road monitoring committee, points out, "Laying a road requires precision and monitoring. The bitumen has to be mixed in the right proportion, it has to be laid at the right temperature and rolled at the right time."

The checklist drawn up the STAC reads thus: Road design, quality of construction, trained staff, contract size, tendering process, digging by utility providers, capable contractors, good supervisors.

But, says Badami, "The chalta hai attitude that prevails is the main cause of our problems."

Mirani has another grouse. "Preventive maintenance - the most important recommendation of the STAC - has been completely ignored."

Preventive maintenance involves supervision, monitoring and auditing of work. Tellingly, the BMC has just one consultant right now and he currently monitors 42 projects.

With ineffective supervision, contractors try to reduce the material costs that form the bulk - 60 to 70 per cent - of their expenditure. Labour accounts for 15 per cent and machinery for 10. And there is another 15 per cent put down to "consultants' fees" - often a euphemism for kickbacks.

The BMC, on its part, insists that it has taken the STAC's recommendations seriously . Going by them, a contractor will be fined Rs 5,000 if any problem crops up within the first three days of laying the road, and Rs 500 per day thereafter. The BMC has decided in principle to do so. But, wait, it has yet to implement that decision. And, amazingly , its road report on July 11, 2008 showed only 124 potholes left to be attended in the city.

Rajeev says they are trying new technologies this year. "Keeping in view the pothole problem, we have introduced the carboncor or cold tar technology this year, along with jet-patcher pothole-filling machines, which should improve the road quality this year," he says.

The BMC will also rely on the paver blocks much favoured by them. Earlier recommended for blind alleys and minor roads (on which buses do not ply) that are less than 20 ft wide, the blocks are now used on main junc tions too. "They are quick to lay, so road traffic is not blocked, and they are easy to dig up in case we have to," says DL Shinde, Chief En gineer, Roads.

But the experts refuse to buy this argument. Paver blocks, explains Mirani, have been used since they cost less and reduce labour costs too, but the results are disappointing. Badly-laid stretches that have either caved in or come off at 50 different spots in Mumbai will have to be relaid, according to guidelines that have been now laid by the STAC.

Asphalt, concrete or paver blocks - it's now a familiar story. Do it badly and do it again - and again.
We do not have a magic wand. Things cannot change overnight. It takes 12 to 18 months for projects to be completed.

R.A. RAJEEV, additional municipal commissioner There are gaping holes in both the road work and maintenance systems… contractors look for short cuts and compromise on quality. N.V. MIRANI road expert & head, Standing Technical Advisory Committee, which gives recommendations for improving Mumbai's roads Laying a road requires precision and monitoring. The bitumen has to be mixed in the right proportion, it has to be laid at the right temperature and rolled at the right time. SUDHIR BADAMI former member, Road Monitoring Committee Mumbai entry points (Thane Eastern Express Highway toll, LBS Naka Toll and Vashi Toll Naka): What we get Rs 71.25 crore by way of Thane-Ghodbunder Road: collections Rs 9.36 crore from tolls Mumbai-Pune Expressway:

and taxes Rs 61.20 crore TOLL TALE What happens to the Rs 71.25 crore collected annually from the Thane Eastern Express Highway toll, LBS Naka toll and Vashi Naka toll? The toll fees you pay while entering or leaving Mumbai goes to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), that uses it to repay the loans taken for building 55 flyovers in Mumbai. Since the govern ment did not have enough money to build the flyovers in the mid-1990s, the MSRDC borrowed funds from the market by floating bonds. The collections from toll taxes are now used to honour these bonds. Apart from the toll, the MSRDC also gets the money that the state government collects as a surcharge on fuel sold in Mumbai.

WHEN A CITIZEN PAID FOR A CAUSEWAY ¦ The first major road to be built in Mumbai was the Sion causeway, which linked two of the seven original islands. Work started in 1803 and was completed in 1805. ¦ The second big road was the Colaba Causeway, completed in 1838. ¦ The Mahim causeway, built between 1841 to 1846 to connect the island of Salsette with Mahim, was built not by the government but a prominent citizen. The British East India Company, which governed Bombay at that time, refused to fund the project. This led Lady Jeejeebhoy, wife of the first baronet, Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, to donate the entire amount of Rs 1,57,000 on the condition that the government would not charge a toll for its use.

View from the other side Bharat Jain, a BMC road contractor who has recently laid roads in the eastern suburbs, speaks to Sujit Mahamulkar. Why do we have to suffer such pathetic roads despite the crores spent on them?

The basic reason is that Mumbai was created by reclaiming land and has many low-lying areas that get inundated during the monsoon. Tar and water are enemies - when water accumulates on a road, the tar used for building it separates from the other materials used. That is why you see so many potholes during the monsoon.

Can't that be fixed? Is the problem in the construction or maintenance?

There are several utility agencies working in the city. If a road is built by the BMC, another agency digs it up a fortnight later. This affects the entire stretch of the road. There should be proper coordination between the utility agencies. What do you have to say about the incidents of miscarriages caused by bad roads?

I don't believe it happens just because of potholes. There could be other reasons. Why are the roads in VIP areas like Malabar Hill always in good shape?

Since Malabar Hill is situated atop a slope, rainwater does not get stagnate there; it flows towards the low-lying areas. This is not the case with other roads. Doesn't corruption in the system affect the quality of the roads?

I would say, yes, there is corruption, but not as much as people think, at least in the BMC's central agency that allots major road repair work. I have no idea about small roads that are taken up by ward offices locally .

sujit.mahamulkar@hindustantimes.com

Six More Skywalks /(Overhead bridges)


SIX NEW skywalks are set to come up in eight months in the city, part of a Rs 600 crore Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority plan.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation has begun work on the plans for the six skywalks to come up near the railway stations of Goregaon, Vile Parle, Vasai Road, Lower Parel, Kandivli and Masjid.

Expected to ease traffic congestion near railway stations by taking pedestrians off the roads, the six skywalks will cost Rs 85.97 crore and will be completed within seven months from the date of commencement of work, said a senior official of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation.

Speaking on condition of anonymity but refusing to give any reason for it, the official said bids had been invited for the construction work and the contract would be finalised by September.

The six proposed skywalks will cost between Rs 9 and Rs 20 crore each.

"We are building these skywalks as they will help in tackling the severe congestion problem outside railway stations during peak hours," Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority Joint Project Director Dilip Kawathkar said. "These skywalks will give commuters easy access from stations to the adjoining roads."

Of the 50 skywalks across the city planned by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, 17 are to be constructed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation.

Source: Hindustan Times

they can plan n build meccano skywalks but metros or drains?

I know Sudhir Badami from old times (when I was active in the Delhi Metro group, the skybus group etc.). He is a strong proponent of BRT systems, and a strong opponent of Metros. He has strong views that you may or may not agree with, but is a very committed person and has worked hard to improve public infrastructure in Mumbai in particular and our cities in general. He has taken other initiatives besides transportation. The Mumbai High Court ban on loudspeakers at night was a result of his initiative for instance.

have they released any renderings/designs or connecting paths.

MMRDA site has the names of locations where these 50 skywalks are going to be built, but there are no design/renderings etc.

( I think they are not creating expectations in people's mind, after the poor structure of bandra skywalk)

I just want any more skywalks.

This has become trend for the BMC. They think they have done a splendid job. Its plain BS.
Why would they want mile-long bridges all over the city? This is going to be the ugliesh infrastructure project ever!!! :ohno:

I just want any more skywalks.

This has become trend for the BMC. They think they have done a splendid job. Its plain BS.
Why would they want mile-long bridges all over the city? This is going to be the ugliesh infrastructure project ever!!! :ohno:

and they'll fall apart in 10 years and terrorists will bomb them and gangsters and theives will live in the them because you can't have police watching something so far and remote and nobody will use them and even if they do it'll suck because they aren't wide enough

Its the cheap & visible option.It might eleaviate some congestion but basicly its the cowards way out..

^^^^

Exactly...

Foolish people... absolutely... Can someone tell these idiots that whatever taking the praise for, is worthless. They are planning to open a two-decker bridge (I am not going to call them Skywalks, because such bridges are insult to skywalks).

The two decker bridge will include hawkers in shops to sell stuff. AA gaye apni aukaad pe, jaha dekhi jagah, they are finding some way out just to make some money....

Seriously man, can't they look for long-term permanent solutions. They will get "wah-wah" from the people in the first few months. Then it will be like a ghost's mansion....

SOM has designed pedestrian bridges for the pudong district in shanghai.

their image gallery is worth a dekho.

http://www.som.com/common/modules/gallery/dsp_image_gallery.cfm/pudong_bridges?galleryCategoryId=505445

http://www.som.com/resources/content/5/0/4/3/7/9/4/5/images/001_21605495.jpg
http://www.som.com/resources/content/5/0/4/3/7/9/4/5/images/002_21605497.jpg
http://www.som.com/resources/content/5/0/4/3/7/9/4/5/images/003_21605498.jpg
http://www.som.com/resources/content/5/0/4/3/7/9/4/5/images/004_21605499.jpg
http://www.som.com/resources/content/5/0/4/3/7/9/4/5/images/005_21605500.jpg
http://www.som.com/resources/content/5/0/4/3/7/9/4/5/images/007_21605496.jpg

I don't know why such Skywalks make Shanghai Look beautiful and why skywalks are making Mumbai look ugly!!!

that's the problem with every project, it's never aesthetically pleasing as other cities.

i think the point jubins making is self expailnatry.
But hears my understanding of it.
Bombay 2008 = Shanghai 1988
OR
Shanghai 2008 = Bombay 2028

^^^^

You alright??? :)

i think the point jubins making is self expailnatry.
But hears my understanding of it.
Bombay 2008 = Shanghai 1988
OR
Shanghai 2008 = Bombay 2028

thx dread.

to gild the lily, 'skywalks' or pedestrian walkways are not inherently bad. but we do need unity of design and purpose. som design are 'simple' but very effective. they are open, modern, and spacious. the structural elements do not detract from the view and the whole is at a scale to which humans can relate.

my thought is that this new contraption should be inviting and offer greater utility to the users. bombayites should be willing to climb those stairs because the walkway should be better than jaywalking on the streets below.

we have a design that is being implemented elsewhere. hope we learn from it.

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/6832/08082008001010dd7.jpg

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/9740/08082008002001002nf7.jpg

http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/7342/08082008002001004cq2.jpg

Source: HT

^^^^

You alright??? :)

He is right.

^^^^

My bad... I misread it.... I thought the other way... Sorry... yes.. he's right!

MMRDA, BMC tussle adds to Mumbaikars' woes
(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Mumbai/MMRDA_BMC_tussle_adds_to_Mumbaikars_woes/articleshow/3354092.cms)
MUMBAI: A tug-of-war between the BMC and the MMRDA, over construction and maintenance of roads, has ensured that Mumbaikars have to live with potholes for another monsoon.

The BMC has refused to take responsibility of a few roads till the MMRDA does a proper job of them; some of these roads need a couple of more months to be given a final shape and some others are only half done (they were supposed to be ready for handing over to the BMC by June 2008).

Broken pavements, potholed patches, damaged paver blocks at junctions, unfinished dividers with no greenery, damaged streetlight poles, open storm-water drains and debris strewn on the surface are some of the complaints that the BMC has about several of these roads; they include Sion-Dharavi Link Road, Andheri-Ghatkopar Link (Extension ) Road, Saki-Vihar Road, the road from Mahakali Caves to MIDC, Marol-Maroshi Road, Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (Extension), Sahar Airport Road and Dhaku Road in the suburbs. The completed patches on Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road, S V Road, LBS Marg, Linking Road, and N S Phadke Marg also have damaged pavements and broken dividers. MMRDA commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad had claimed work on some of these roads was complete and even announced the handover of the roads. He had then promised to give finishing touches to these roads to the satisfaction of citizens and the BMC.

RE: Paver blocks

Why do they even bother with these? Just pour a simply concrete slab. It has a more consistent surface, requires less maintenance, and can be put down much faster than labor intensive pavers.

^^^^

Exactly. Who will tell our babus?
They are ch***yas with no brians

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/5064/mumbaitrafficog8.jpg

see first of all....no user is gonna use tht kinda of a ugly stt.......secondly, the stt. is so pathetic tht now in rain it has horrors again........as a user and a designer......and by above post...no point in comparision btwn indian styles and shangai.....

keep post and good job by chem bur ka chokra...

Better than those walkways?

Mumbai

photocopyright Anand

http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/9032/metroundergroundcstanandt8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

^^ Yes. Where was this built? How long is it?

see first of all....no user is gonna use tht kinda of a ugly stt.......secondly, the stt. is so pathetic tht now in rain it has horrors again........as a user and a designer......and by above post...no point in comparision btwn indian styles and shangai.....

keep post and good job by chem bur ka chokra...

thx mate

^^ Yes. Where was this built? How long is it?

that's the subway outside metro theatre

Now this is something better than those pedestrian bridges (Skywalks as they call it).

Better than those walkways?

Mumbai

photocopyright Anand

http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/9032/metroundergroundcstanandt8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Is there suppose to be a IMAGE here, because I don't see anything.

Personally, I think Mumbai has great potential for pedestrian subways especially around CST to Colaba cross to Churchgate and a circle extending to Nariman Point on the way connecting major intersections bus stops etc... It would be a relief for the Mumbai sultry heat and the monsoon (assuming the subways don't flood :-) )

Pedestrian subways have done quite well. Metro/VT/Churchgate. Never seen either of them flooding either.

I just wish slowly more things start going under rather than over. Unfortunately it costs waay more. Its quite sad that the Metro is gonna be above ground. Things get so cluttered.

Walkways ... flyovers ... metro line ...

Donno about them being feasible for really long distances though.

this is what i found in times of india about the various skywalks in mumbai

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/7374/getimagejwz6.png

Good thing to see is that the COmpletion time is very fast.

about 5-9 months max...thats really cool

yeah, too bad skywalks suck

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Govt_floats_new_tender_for_Pune_E-way_extension_/articleshow/3382799.cms

The minister said the road will be the country's first urban access control project and will reduce the time taken to travel to Mumbai from Panvel. Currently , after reaching Panvel from Pune in two hours, the traffic congestion on the Sion-Panvel highway forces people to spend nearly one-and-a-halfhours in reaching Mumbai.

The corridor will be thefirst access control urban road in India with two service roads for entry and exits at various points, dedicated five lanes for heavy and light vehicles, eight subways and three flyovers. The road will be 62 mts wide.

No hawkers on the subway that's nice to see.
How did they manage to keep them out?

Source: Hindustan Times epaper

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/4466/juhuwb2.jpg

Source: Ydays' TOI

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/7857/roadreckonfk3.png

Milan subway flyover project stuck in limbo (http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1187531)

The much awaited rail over bridge (ROB) on the Milan subway in western suburbs may actually end up finishing way after the deadline of 18 months. The traffic department has categorically told Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) that it can give permission to construct the bridge under the Western Express Highway only after the flyover along the domestic airport is fully functional.

Currently only three lanes (northern side) of the flyover are operational while the other three are expected to finish by January 2009.

With the motive to ease traffic problems on SV Road, the Milan subway flyover was conceived by MMRDA last year. Subsequently, the bhoomi pujan was performed on January 10. Unfortunately things have not moved ahead due to various hindrances, including the rehabilitation of the project affected people (PAP) and permissions from the railways and airport authorities. Also, the geography and density of the area is making work difficult for the contractor — J Kumar infrastructure.

Though the design and alignment has already been finalised by the contractor, they are still waiting for a nod from the railway board about crossing the railway line measuring a span of 45.7m. “Work on the Milan subway flyover will begin only after the airport one is fully functional. If that work goes behind schedule, our timetable may be disturbed,” said Sachin Nayak, project manager for the contractor J Kumar

“Also the work has to be done at nights only when the local trains are not running. We have to be extra careful since we have to go above the railway track which already is at a height of 4m. The height of the ROB would be 6.4m above the railway track. The total height would thus be around 12.5 to 13m.”

With all these facts put together, finishing the ROB within the stipulated time period of 18 months seems nearly impossible.

However, an optimistic MMRDA chief engineer SR Nanargikar told DNA, “We are waiting for the clearance from the traffic department.

We aim to complete the project within the stipulated time. We are sure we will succeed.”

Source: Ydays' TOI

http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/7857/roadreckonfk3.png

I thought all sea links were to have exclusive bus lanes?

25 year plans .Its so fucking dishonest

DNA News

Pramod Chopdekar, an Airport Authority of India (AAI) employee, brings around five buckets of drinking water from the airport to his quarter at least once every week, due to water shortage.

Like him, other residents of the AAI colony on Sahar road in Andheri East are facing problems, including power cuts broken drainage pipes and dry taps.

Their cause for concern — a four-month -old cement mixing plant that has been set up to work on the construction of the Sahar elevated road, which aims to join the western express highway with the Sahar airport.

AAI colony residents allege that the site has blocked access to one of the colony parks near gate number two, and also the surrounding area with huge metal sheets. “We are not against progress. But this is very disturbing as we come from our night shifts and the heavy drilling sound at the site during the day disturbs us,” said an employee staying near the plant.

“For the last few months we have been putting up with dry taps and no electricity. This is due to the digging work involved in the construction of the road, which often cuts through our water connection,” said Chopdekar.

Residents also say that the construction work of the Sahar elevated road has resulted in breaking drainage pipelines, thus causing sewerage to flow openly. “For the last four months we have been staying with choked toilets and bathrooms. We have complained about this to both AAI and Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), and have not received a response yet. My son also fell ill because of this,” said Mrs V Sonawane.

However when contacted, Dilip Kavathkar, spokesperson for MMRDA which has undertaken the work of the elevated road, said “If we receive complaints from residents of the area we will take immediate action in order to resolve the issue.”

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/4998/11092008003003bm4.jpg

^^^^

Gaikwad said the MMRDA was still to get environment clearance for the road.

hmmm..... so another delay to be expected...

this is the map of the proposed road. it will have to cut through the nature park/bird sanctuary and go over both the main and harbour lines.

what is interesting is that the sclr is about a kilometer to the north. when that is built, it should also siphon off a lot of traffic from EEH and vashi going to bkc and points beyond. so this new road is more for people coming from south bombay to not cut across dharavi once they reach sion.
of course the sclr is also stuck in limbo as the railways own all the 'air' rights over their lines and are loath to make things go smoothly.

http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/2880/chunnabhattisp3.jpg

Sion Bandra link road
http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/4749/skybridgedg7.th.jpg (http://img392.imageshack.us/my.php?image=skybridgedg7.jpg)

More pics...
Sion Bandra link road
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/7274/dharaviwehlinknk9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/7274/dharaviwehlinknk9.a31a2de943.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=520&i=dharaviwehlinknk9.jpg)


Approaching the Vakola flyover
http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/7289/wehpn8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/wehpn8.jpg/1/w500.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img133/wehpn8.jpg/1/)


The Vakola flyover
http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/3158/wehvakolaflyoverep8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/wehvakolaflyoverep8.jpg/1/w500.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img158/wehvakolaflyoverep8.jpg/1/)

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2008/09/17/003/17_09_2008_003_008.jpg

this is what i found in times of india about the various skywalks in mumbai

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/7374/getimagejwz6.png

Am i reading this wrong or are those the real numbers in the first column (3)!?

4,630 lakhs?


:uh:

Am i reading this wrong or are those the real numbers in the first column (3)!?

4,630 lakhs?


:uh:

4,630 lakhs = 46.3 crores.


our babus like to play with big numbers:banana:

4,630 lakhs = 46.3 crores.

well, as far as it gets made up beautifuly, money is not a concern at this point.
It would be good to allot different contractors each skywalk, by that the Competition would also increase and they would try to do a decent job...
(I hope...high hanging hopes)

Mumbai: A BJP corporator from Kandivli has threatened to break the law if his demands are not met with. Claiming that work on the Kandivli east-west flyover project has been pending for the last 14 years, Yogesh Sagar has demanded that the structure be completed immediately. “The public should be able to use the bridge by October, failing which I will start constructing hutments on the flyover.’’ he said, adding that he was ready to face the legal consequences.
According to Sagar, the work order for constructing the bridge was issued in 1994. “At that time, the cost of the project was Rs 11 crore. It was to be completed within
18 months. However, only part of the bridge was constructed in 16 months and the work slackened. Now, the cost has escalated to Rs 19 crore,’’ he said.
According to Sagar, the administration had promised that the bridge would be accessible to the public in March 2008. “However, it never happened and they extended the deadline to October 2008. But at the pace at which things are going, I doubt if the deadline would be met,’’ he said. “Even Shri Ram’s vanvas got over after 14 years, but I don’t think this bridge will ever be completed,’’ he said.
Sagar has listed out his demand in a letter to civic chief Jairaj Phatak.

Source: TOI


I (used to) live right opposite (a couple of blocks north of it) the Bridge on SV Road..

It has been really pathetic about the way they are coming up with the bridge. The last I knew of the bridge was that they were re-undergoing construction on the eastern side. If you look down from Google Earth, you can see that there is some construction going on the Eastern Side.

Since the bridge started the construction right in 1994 and its almost 14 years that its not fucking constructed. It is going to ease so much traffic because the one going on the eastern side is one way by the tracks.

So if this bridge is constructed, I think it should ensure a steady flow of traffic. (if it gets connected to the highway directly, it will be awesome).

Linking Road and Rail (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cybercriminals-use-celebrity-names-to-lure-victims/363292/)

The State Government is planning to provide an approach to the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), which will link Sewri in mainland Mumbai to the Nhava across the creek, with the Eastern Freeway project, which will run from the Chatrapati Shivaji museum to Ghatkopar. Senior State government officials said funding for work on the eight-lane bridge, which is estimated to cost around Rs 8,000 crore, would be met in phases through sources like a hike in the FSI in areas which will benefit from the 22-km bridge, the kitty of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), financial institutions and auction of toll rights.

^^^^

They have stolen my idea or suggestion that I made to some other people... :)

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2008/09/21/003/21_09_2008_003_010.jpg

Here's a Subway one: Not exactly a road, or a flyover, or a freeway:

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2008/09/25/004/25_09_2008_004_016.jpg

make jaywalking a 500 rupee fine. that is more than enough incentive to take the subway

All you need is to enforce the law, strictly and honestly. That should do the rest is all gimmicks. What makes them think that those imbiciles who cross the roads would be conneusieurs of the arts? :ohno:

Yeah a fine would be better not these gimmick but good idea anyhow to make the subway more interesting.

Is this the same subway that was recently started to leak causing large puddles everywhere hehehehe.

All you need is to enforce the law, strictly and honestly. That should do the rest is all gimmicks. What makes them think that those imbiciles who cross the roads would be conneusieurs of the arts? :ohno:

Exactly!!!!

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2008/09/30/008/30_09_2008_008_010.jpg

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2008/10/02/004/02_10_2008_004_003.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

Something good here. I am pleased with their notion of decreasing the width of a lane from 3.5 to 3.1 meters. Honestly as I have seen in some of the pictures, the lanes are too wide and I am pleased they have heard the message.

By the way, does anyone know what the Road Alignment of the Mahim Causeway was about?

It was actually St. Michael's church junction that had been studied by the duo, and consequently, re-aligned. I doubt that they've already dealt with Mahim Causeway.
It's great news...something I've been looking forward to for a while now.

I did hear a similar technique reported in newspaper that a few days back that a couple of guys were road monitoring at a Junction. Can't exactly remember if they were the same duo. Anyways, this is just a start. Let them implement it and then it (proper lane markings) would be something to talk about.

Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority's (MMRDA) plan to rehabilitate thousands of hawkers on a number of skywalks has faced opposition. The Grant Road (west) retail traders association, while calling the proposed skywalk unnecessary, has pointed towards a Supreme Court order which prevents hawking around railway stations and on foot-over bridges.
The 650-metre proposed skywalk will connect Grant Road to Nana Chowk. The local association — which is a part of Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association — has written a letter to MMRDA and the chief minister questioning the necessity of a skywalk. The association has referred to a SCverdict in 2003 which bans hawking within 150 metres of any railway station or on foot-over bridges.
Kanti Gada, president of Grant Road West Retail Traders Association said, The station is well connected. The commuters use the Grand Road flyover to go to Nana Chowk. There is an exclusive footpath on the flyover. But pedestrians do not use it. If an existing bridge is not used, why should they build a skywalk?
The skywalk, which will also accommodate 48 shops, is to be built on Nausher Bharucha Road (also known as Slater road). There are about 15-20 buildings in that stretch. Many shopkeepers who are local residents say the skywalk will hamper their business. This road is very narrow. There are three schools here. If the skywalk is constructed, the congestion will increase. This will affect our business. Moreover, many of the buildings will also lose privacy, said Arvind Nishar, office bearer of the association. Viren Shah, president of Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association, said, We are not against any development, but we oppose the plan to have hawkers. There are foot-over bridges and rail-over bridges which have been encroached by hawkers, drug peddlers and other anti-social elements. Look at the condition of Dadar bridge. Does MMRDA want to spread this menace to other areas as well?

Source: DNA India

Sahi hai. Hawkers log tum aage badho, hum tumhare saath hai.

I did hear a similar technique reported in newspaper that a few days back that a couple of guys were road monitoring at a Junction. Can't exactly remember if they were the same duo. Anyways, this is just a start. Let them implement it and then it (proper lane markings) would be something to talk about.

Oh.. Finally.. I wish they implement this lane system throughout as it will really help with the traffic problem. The difficult part though will be the upkeep of the roads and even more difficult will be instilling lane-discipline amongst indians as well as traffic discipline in general. I am pleased that the Traffic police has taken good initiatives in this direction as I observed when I visited Mumbai last october and now with the civic bodies chipping in with their bits and actually using robust methodologies, I cannot help but feel chuffed!!

http://www.televisionpoint.com/news2008/newsfullstory.php?id=1222776885

JCDecaux India, an out-of-home (OOH) advertising agency, has bagged the contract of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The agency has recently set up street furniture in three locations - Bandra Kurla Complex, Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) and the Eastern Express Highway.

The contract is for setting up 120 bus shelters across these locations. The agreement is a 10-year contract for which JCDecaux would ensure not just setting up of the bus shelters but also their maintenance until the end of contract period.

The agency had earlier signed a 15 year contract with the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) in 2006 for constructing 200 bus shelters. Street furniture is one of the core competencies of JCDecaux.

cool. they make excellent shelters worldwide

wish the best also gave them some shelters. maybe its too many if you do best

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2008/10/15/003/15_10_2008_003_001.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2008/10/15/003/15_10_2008_003_007.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

Photos copyright: Karan Nevatia on flickr.com

The Western Express Highway
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/3406/weh1op5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/weh1op5.jpg/1/w800.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img373/weh1op5.jpg/1/)

A flyover into the city
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/1052/flyover1bq8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/flyover1bq8.jpg/1/w800.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img373/flyover1bq8.jpg/1/)

Actually how long is the Western Express Highway? Please anybody? Thanks In Advance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Express_Highway

25.33 km

I think this photo must be taken on a weekend. So empty roads as per mumbai standards is a good site to see.
Photos copyright: Karan Nevatia on flickr.com

The Western Express Highway
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/3406/weh1op5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/weh1op5.jpg/1/w800.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img373/weh1op5.jpg/1/)

A flyover into the city
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/1052/flyover1bq8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/flyover1bq8.jpg/1/w800.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img373/flyover1bq8.jpg/1/)

^^^^

Lol

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2008/10/23/005/23_10_2008_005_008.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

http://epaper.dnaindia.com/EpaperImages%5C23102008%5Cconncecekekek.jpg

Source: DNA India

lol! the car decks they are talking about are basically the whole length of seaface. not happening bro

The Western express highway, BOM
photo source: stefan.klocek on flickr.com
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/3095/roadiq7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/roadiq7.jpg/1/w1024.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img411/roadiq7.jpg/1/)

Similarly, there will be a skywalk constructed at the Worli end, but the deisgns for the same have not yet been finalised.

HOLY CRAP!!!

This is a message for the authorities :
You have NO idea what you're doing. HOW ON EARTH could you even think about building a skywalk on WSF??? If this proposal does go through, and if the Skywalk looks anything, and I mean, ANYTHING like the one along the WEH, we're ALL in for a shit-show!

Please think about the aesthetics of this 'view-spoiler' during the design process.
IT CANNOT LOOK LIKE ANYTHING WE'VE SEEN SO FAR. PLEASE!!!

Good Picture, KB

The idea was to give Mumbai a green feel, keeping the greenery of cities like London in mind. For this, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had decided to cover all the tree bases and the medians with lush green velvet grass. Not just that, colourful flowers too were to enhance the beauty of the city's streets.

The idea had struck additional municipal commissioner RA Rajeev after he was impressed by the green look of European cities on his visit there. In July, Rajeev had told DNA that laying velvet grass would ensure that dust remained settled in summer and mud did not roll on to the streets during monsoon.

However, less than a year after the plan was started in January, the grass has already lost its greenery. At many places it has turned yellow or bald patches have appeared in others. Most tree bases have completely lost their cover.

Known as Korean grass or the velvet grass, the sheathing leaves cost Rs18 per sq ft. Like all green cover, they only require regular watering to maintain the thick cover that they generate. Mumbaikars cite lack of watering as the prime reason for the grass to dry up so fast.

Not far away from the BMC headquarters, DN Road, which is declared as a Heritage precinct, too does not have any grass left on its tree bases. Stamping and spitting by pedestrians has accelerated the process. BMC was to complete covering all the medians and tree bases with Korean grass within a year.

When contacted, Rajeev said, Grass have dried because of the sudden heat after the monsoon. Once water is poured regularly, it will come back to life. It is a natural phenomenon that plants cannot bear the heat after the monsoon

Source: DNA India


Proper maintainence is required. W/o that, grasses won't do well. Fertilizations and things need to be done.

hello to everyone.
first of all introduce myself, my name is Javier i'm Spanish , we are studying on a university project in a terrain of mumbai, is very casually commented on the forum a place nearby, this is the land that is directly across from the slums of Bandra, through which passes the Skywalk that goes to BKC.someone know something of this land? why the Skywalk don't croos it in order to round it?there are any project for this place?

i will like to know iif someone could help me,it will be so gald to me.Thanks

http://cms.mumbaimirror.com/portalfiles/1/15/200811/Image/131108/01-01a.jpg
http://cms.mumbaimirror.com/portalfiles/1/15/200811/Image/131108/01-01b.jpg

Source: Mumbai Mirror

wow! lane discipline! that too in heavy traffic... must be south mumbai

jj flyover

wow! lane discipline! that too in heavy traffic... must be south mumbai

i have driven on the western express highway...the moment you cross the sahar airport signal and go towards south mumbai, the traffic is well disciplined...even the BEST drivers respect their lanes...adding to that is the fact that Autorickshaws dont run beyond bandra....

Bandra-Kala Nagar Skywalk

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/7227/251020081328lm4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

they should have painted it white imo,it would have looked a bit sophistcated

or green to merge with the greenery around it. Yellow is too gaudy.

Former attorney general to be displaced by road-widening (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Former_attorney_general_to_be_displaced_by_road-widening/articleshow/3738536.cms)

The tony Nepean Sea Road from Kemps Corner to Priyadarshini Park is to be widened and one of the project-affected persons is former
attorney general of India Soli Sorabjee. The BMC, last month, began the process for the acquisition of setback area to widen the road from the present 40 ft to 90ft.

This is the fourth attempt by the BMC in the past 10 years to acquire open and built-up set back area to widen the road. "The 90-ft road line was decided in 1969. But each time the civic corporation issued notices, residents moved court on the plea that only when the BMC would widen the entire road at one go, they would part with the setback area on their plots. This was not possible as acquisition is done in stages and so the plan would go back into cold storage,'' said a senior civic official.

R A Rajeev, additional municipal commissioner in-charge of roads, said the work order for widening the road had already been issued but as the acquisition process had not been completed, the work could not be started.

The widening of the road is a precursor to the building of the Worli-Nariman Point link which is part of the Western Freeway and includes the Bandra-Worli sealink that is likely to be commissioned in March next year.

"There is a likelihood of a tunnel being constructed at Priyadarshini Park that will connect the link to Marine Drive. Then the Nepean Sea Road will constitute a part of the Worli-Nariman Point Link. Considering the traffic that will come in, it is necessary to widen the road. Most of the land that is to be acquired is open setback area and around 10% is built-up area. We will be acquiring both simultaneously,'' said Rajeev.

This time the BMC has approached the work in a more methodical manner and is attempting to do it all at one go. "We carried out a detailed study of the number of properties in the area, the size of each property, the setback area to be acquired in every case, the number of trees and then went ahead with issuing the notices,'' said civic officials.

In all, the BMC plans to acquire 45,000 sq ft of open setback (on which there is no construction) and 4,000 sq ft of built-up area. Around 99 trees are identified to be cut down while another 54 will be transplanted.

On Thursday, one of the residents, C Gokhani whose property is affected by the roadline, gave up the open setback area to the BMC. "Lodha builders too have acceded the open setback area to the BMC and other developers who are carrying out redevelopment on the road have been informed. They are inclined to hand over the setback area,'' said sources.

But other residents have raised issues, some of them referring to past court cases and other queries. Two of the most sensitive areas include the built-up area setback to be acquired from properties belonging to the family of Soli Sorabjee and the owners of Gamadia Estate. "A decision on the two properties will be taken at the level of the municipal commissioner,'' said sources.

Kandivli flyover to close ‘killer’ level crossing

Fourteen years on, Raj Guru flyover at Kandivli was finally thrown open to traffic on Saturday. Following which, locals have now intensified their demand to close a ‘killer’ level crossing in the area.

In last one year, the level crossing has reportedly claimed 300 lives.

Authorities had claimed since the level crossing was the only vehicular link between west and east Kandivli, it would be closed only after the flyover was made operational.

“Locals have been blaming the level crossing for accidents, but I think they should blame themselves first,” said Kandivli resident Yagnesh Furia. “I have seen GRP’s (Government Railway Police) fining commuters to deter them, but people don’t listen. The railways need to close the level crossing to stop such mishaps,” he added.

“Railway officials have been telling us they can shut the crossing only after the Kandivli flyover was made operational. They should keep their word. I have witnessed three accidents in the last year.

Maybe souls of accident victims at the crossing will rest in peace once it is finally closed,” said Darpan Gangrani of a office next to the level crossing.

A WR spokesperson said they were considering closing the crossing soon. “Now that the flyover is open to traffic, we will take a decision to shut the level crossing soon.

There is a foot-overbridge adjoining the level crossing but people don’t use it. Over 5,000 people die every year in the city because they cross train tracks instead of using foot-overbridges,” he added.


Source: Mumbai Mirror

Some relief there. The flyover could have well prevented a number of accidents. Not only this a better traffic flow would have already been in place had it not for our clumsy id10tic government.

Oh well, its better late then never!!!

you are the best!! ab041937
this is the picture that i have serched for all the webs and posts!!!
we are working at tht university on a project for this place,and i needed information.
thanks a lot!!!

http://cms.mumbaimirror.com/portalfiles/1/15/200811/Image/131108/01-01a.jpg
http://cms.mumbaimirror.com/portalfiles/1/15/200811/Image/131108/01-01b.jpg

Source: Mumbai Mirror
This is JJ Flyover image and traffic is very well controlled.

Close to Gandhinagar: The Gurdwara and marble shops have been eliminated. Construction on at full swing.

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/7029/dsc01254sb6.th.jpg (http://img264.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01254sb6.jpg)

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/7572/dsc01255dm9.th.jpg (http://img265.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01255dm9.jpg)

Traffic is bad as usual on this section. Imagine unloading a 6-lane road onto a 2-lane one and this is what you get every morning and evening. But, hopefully, once this section is done, traffic will ease. They should also think about a monorail or metro on the JVLR section. Lot of people commute on this route.

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/7112/dsc01256tn6.th.jpg (http://img247.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01256tn6.jpg)


http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/188/dsc01257os5.th.jpg (http://img265.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01257os5.jpg)

This section of shops is still to be demolished. Wonder how they willl finish the work without doing it.

http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/5549/dsc01258nq1.th.jpg (http://img53.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01258nq1.jpg)

Hirandani approach road nearing: Traffic is faster and 6-lane section nearer.

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/1116/dsc01259ev7.th.jpg (http://img247.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01259ev7.jpg)

In front of Powai lake:

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/3735/dsc01260kk6.th.jpg (http://img301.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01260kk6.jpg)

Powai lake itself is getting a beautiful waterfront. Once that is completed, it will be really beautiful. Also, they should consider cleaning the lake at the end of every monsoon. I saw a lot of water hyacinth. Sorry, no pics but i can assure you the work is in advanced stages of completion. I could see the jogging track and stuff. I leave you with this article about the future waterfront.

http://cities.expressindia.com/local-news/archivefullstory.php?newsid=207365&creation_date=2006-10-31

A lot of trees have been cut for JVLR. I hope they can plant something on the powai lake front to compensate for the loss.

After L&T junction, its a smooth ride on JVLR upto Andheri - a really good 6-lane road with minimum signals. This was reported before as well.

Eastern Freeway to be completed by 2010 (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Eastern_Freeway_to_be_completed_by_2010/articleshow/3998543.cms)

MUMBAI: The Eastern Freeway, which will connect the island city with Chembur, is likely to be completed almost a year before the scheduled date.
Work on the 16-km road started in June 2008 and it was given a timeframe of 36 months.

"There are not too many impediments in construction and we feel that the work may finish in the second half of 2010,'' said Milind Mhaiskar, additional commissioner of MMRDA.

Apart from connecting the eastern suburbs with the island city, the Eastern Freeway will also act as a dispersal system for the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), connecting Sewri with Nhava.

Though the Mumbai Port Trust agreed to give land in 2007, the commencement of the work took some time as MbPT authorities were a little sceptical about the space left for their trailers which come to the port. At present, the MMRDA has started installing pillars on the ferry wharf side.

The project is funded under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The plan was initially slated to cost Rs 340 crore and due to an escalation of costs, it could cost around Rs 531 crore.

"Unlike the construction of other bridges and roads, which is hindered by heavy traffic, things are easier here as the traffic load is less,'' a senior MMRDA official said.

"In fact, vehicles moving towards the eastern suburbs will have smoother exits-one through BA Road which will have new flyovers and the second via the Anik Panjrapole road and the Eastern Freeway,'' said Mhaiskar.

"It will be a much faster ride towards Panvel and Navi Mumbai as the work on the 5-km Anik Panjrapole road has gained in momentum. A patch of land was handed over by the BMC to the MMRDA recently. This road will be completed by mid-2010,'' said S Nandgirikar, chief engineer of the MMRDA. The Anik-Panjrapole road also has a 300-mt tunnel.

The Eastern Freeway will also be the longest elevated road in the city. Nearly 8.9 km of this road will be elevated and one can travel from Colaba to Panjrapole in just 20-25 minutes.

Mhaiskar said that while travelling to Pune via the proposed MTHL, a person will enter the Mumbai Pune Expressway at a village called Chirle near Nhava. This will speed up the journey for south Mumbai residents via the Eastern Freeway, MTHL and then the expressway to Pune, thereby saving more than one hour of travel time.

This is good news... L&T is constructing this, isnt it? Their Sahar Elevated Road project is also going pretty fast - faster than the Metro.

isnt there a flyover from WEH to airport that opened in July?

isnt there a flyover from WEH to airport that opened in July?
Yes it's a same flyover now opened with all lanes.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cm-flies-over-jam-to-inaugurate-flyovers/414917/

CM flies over jam to inaugurate flyovers Posted: Jan 25, 2009 at 2330 hrs IST

Ganesha gets safe farewell, Mumbai says no to terrorMumbai: Having tasted public outrage for arriving late on his first public meeting on Friday, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan made it in time for the inauguration of two flyovers and an underpass in the city, courtesy a chopper ride over the city’s traffic jams.

According to senior Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority officials, Chavan opted for the aerial mode of transport as he had engagements at Dhule after the function.

At the public interaction on Friday, Chavan was scheduled to arrive at 4 pm, but was over 40 minutes late, leaving those assembled rather agitated.

On Saturday morning, Chavan reached Thakur Complex junction in Kandivali at 10 past nine and threw open the 644-metre flyover for motorists. Later, he inaugurated the flyover at Santacruz domestic airport junction. It is a two-way carriageway, one measuring 714 metre. A vehicular underpass 350 metre long and 24 metre wide at Bhor junction, Kandivali, was also opened to public.
Chavan said the flyovers would smoothen traffic. “Mumbai traffic will now get relief,” said Chavan. He added that there would be a change in the environment due to increasing corridor speeds for faster connectivity. “Mumbai will transform into a world-class city after the completion of various development and infrastructure projects,” he said.

Metropolitan Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad said, “A set of flyovers at B A Ambedkar Road, under construction, will be completed soon. Among these flyovers, those near Sion Hospital and Hindmata junction will be completed by May 2009.” These flyovers had been delayed due to utility shifting. “We made the chief minister aware of the difficulties while constructing flyovers like utilities, slum rehab, etc. He appreciated our progress,” Gaikwad added.

^^

Is this the Thakur Village flyover?

photo copyright Suryavanshi

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/5351/mumbaiflyoversuryaveersqi7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

^^
Yes, this indeed is Thakur village flyover...

How about we dedicate a small space on the side on the each road for bicycles just like Delhi and have lane markings so that people can still follow the order??

Don't you think that bicycles are probably one of the causes for slow traffic?

I mean these guys are making roads, but small things like this are left unnoticed?

^^
It's a good idea, but is there really any space left on Bombay streets?
First flyovers take away space (rather than underpass), then elevated metro and monorail. There needs to be more space for cars and bikes. At the moment, I think an added bike lane would only cause more traffic.

well, considering its a highway there shouldnt be any bikes on it

Yes it's a same flyover now opened with all lanes.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cm-flies-over-jam-to-inaugurate-flyovers/414917/

I think the flyover in this article is the one ON WEH near domestic terminal. There is also an ELEVATED ROAD from WEH to the airport being built by L&T. This should come up in 2 yrs i guess.

thats right. i mentioned this on the bombay airport thread

well, considering its a highway there shouldnt be any bikes on it

In a few years time there wont be due to mega traffic flow.
Oh, and the Nano...

^^
maybe we should have a separate nano lane!:lol:

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/01/31/007/31_01_2009_007_011.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

^^^^ the work on skywalk outside Borivali & Dahisar stations were in full swing... I did not check other stations though

:delete:

Can someone tell the MMRDA to come up with better designs that are eye-catching and Economical.
Look at the cheap quality of that skywalk. It doesn't look like it was newly built.
It Looks like someone painted over a victorian infrastructure project from the colonial.
Anyone can come up with better design and work/finishing quality than those skywalks.
Although it serves the main purpose, these things are ruining the look of mumbai.

That's them man...

Even after spending millions of dollars on the infrastructure project, the outcome, lookwise, is "Ghaatical"

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/02/02/002/02_02_2009_002_003.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

Possably usefull.
But shit do they look awful,lile something the army knocked up as a temporary structure.

I am seeing no use of them right away... People still prefer to walk on the roads....

My god...these things are hideous. Functional, sure. But aesthetically, COME ON!

the aesthetics of the skywalks are matching the underlying Zhopadpattis...
so they match up equally...
can you imagine a glassy, steel plaited, savvy skywalk along the lines of these overflowing gutters, and huts....

imagine in 10 yrs people will be clamoring to bring them down - or repaint them or ....

I am seeing no use of them right away... People still prefer to walk on the roads....

few days back I just tried our Bandra Skywalk and that too during peak hrs...
hardly i seen people walking on the skywalk ...... rest all people were walking on roads...
If this is going to happen then why to build skywalks and waste unnecessary money......

imagine in 10 yrs people will be clamoring to bring them down - or repaint them or ....

I don't think so because to repair it after 10 years people need to use it ... which presently they are not doing .....

So c'mon bombay folks why do you think people arent using them then?
Because there so ugly?
Or , and this is what i suspect, becuase they are so badly designed that its much quicker NOT to.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/02/02/002/02_02_2009_002_003.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

I cant stop looking at it.
One of the most ugly pieces of urban infra ive ever seen.
Note that they are making ££££ on these...
they could 've just built some decent pavements , no?

So c'mon bombay folks why do you think people arent using them then?
Because there so ugly?
Or , and this is what i suspect, becuase they are so badly designed that its much quicker NOT to.

you need escalators to reach the top - but that will be difficult to maintain in the rains. make it easy for people to climb.

but yes, there is a general lack of community knowledge. people walk on roads even in places where footpaths are well-built.

you need escalators to reach the top - but that will be difficult to maintain in the rains. make it easy for people to climb.

but yes, there is a general lack of community knowledge. people walk on roads even in places where footpaths are well-built.

Depends on what you mean by well built. Nagpur has great infrastructure including footpaths, but no one uses them cuz they're three feet off the ground! Who wants to ascend and descend 3 feet every 20 ft of foot path?

I think people would walk on footpaths if they were uniformly & intelligently designed and if hawkers didn't sell vegetables on them.

mumbai is far ahead in this respect -- some places, footpaths are really well done with slopes to climb onto and get off and are clear of encroachment for 300-400 metres on average but yet people walk on the streets.

i think its a vicious circle. some encroachments and poor community education cause people to walk on the streets which allows encroachers onto footpaths since noone uses them which further encourages people on the street.

But, i agree with you - in some places, basic infrastructure is badly designed.

The design of the skywalks is absolutely hideous. I don’t understand how such a big municipal corporation comes out with a design that could have been made by a 7th grade student(I honestly dont want to insult 7th graders who I think are more bright that these idiots"). I sincerely hope they don’t build these atleast in the beautiful south Mumbai locality, it would just totally destroy the historic and aesthetic aspects of that area.

^^^^

50 more of such structures across the City are definitely an eye sore... I have sent an email to MMRDA. But as usual they don't reply. What's funny is that I get an automated reply from them saying "we will reply you promptly" and they never do...

I think each and every one of us should send an email to them explaining how ugly and useless that these structures are...

mumbai is far ahead in this respect -- some places, footpaths are really well done with slopes to climb onto and get off and are clear of encroachment for 300-400 metres on average but yet people walk on the streets.



I agree!! Most people don't realise that Mumbai footpaths are the best around anywhere. All it needs is to get rid of the encroachments and the transient hawkers and some very high pressure cleaners and most importantly some very highly disciplined people

The newly opened flyover at the Domestic Airport junction on the WEH

photo copyright: KB335ci2
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/2692/p1010006yd0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/p1010006yd0.jpg/1/w1024.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img24/p1010006yd0.jpg/1/)
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/1015/p1010003xy0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/p1010003xy0.jpg/1/w1024.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img156/p1010003xy0.jpg/1/)
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/2646/p1010005ah5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/p1010005ah5.jpg/1/w1024.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img156/p1010005ah5.jpg/1/)

I think the contractors of this project MUST be sued. The bloody bastards build crap with tax-payers' money. The quality of the surface/ concrete guards leaves A LOT to be desired.

At least its up an running. Has the traffic situation improved there now?

Btw, Nice pics KB. Keep up the good work.

qwertyasd, the traffic situation in the area has improved considerably, although the jam during peak-hour persists. :)

`75K vehicles will use Worli sealink a day' ..... Read More (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/75K_vehicles_will_use_Worli_sealink_a_day/articleshow/4102265.cms)

what is that round structure in your first pic kbc? when i was in mumbai i asked people but no body knew. i thought it was a stadium :(

what is that round structure in your first pic kbc? when i was in mumbai i asked people but no body knew. i thought it was a stadium :(

that's the sahara star (nee centaur) hotel

thanks for the info jubin.
must say it is awfully close to the busy street. though it has advantage of being at the stone throw distance from airport.

though it has advantage of being at the stone throw distance from airport.

That's about the only advantage. :lol:
The Sahara Star is by far, the tackiest hotel on Earth. It oozes cheapness from every unfinished fissure.

thanks for the info jubin.
must say it is awfully close to the busy street. though it has advantage of being at the stone throw distance from airport.

np.

That's about the only advantage. :lol:
The Sahara Star is by far, the tackiest hotel on Earth. It oozes cheapness from every unfinished fissure.

amen.

Here’s how they plan to link the coast (http://Here’s how they plan to link the coast)

The Haji Ali-Nariman Point sea link, the last phase of the Western Freeway project, could now be a combination of a sea bridge, a tunnel and a shallow tunnel under Marine Drive. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the nodal agency for the project, will soon send the suggestion to the state Cabinet for approval.

The first phase — the Bandra Worli sea link — is nearing completion. Bids for construction of the Worli-Haji Ali sea link are under scrutiny and the construction is expected to begin later this year. A final decision on the Haji Ali-Nariman Point connectivity is crucial as the dispersal of traffic from the first two sections will be a challenging task.

S M Gavai, vice-chairman and managing director of MSRDC, said the empowered committee chaired by the Chief Secretary has perused various alternatives suggested by consultants and recommended a sea bridge from Haji Ali to Priyadarshini Park, followed by a deep (drill and blast) tunnel via Malabar Hill to Tambe Chowk and then a cut-and-cover tunnel from Tambe Chowk to Nariman Point.

The shallow tunnel was preferred to a sea bridge for the final section as a sea-bridge along this portion could mar the view of the proposed statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj off the Marine Drive coast. The 10.9-km link between Haji Ali and Nariman Point could be constructed on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis like the Worli-Haji Ali sea link.

Cut-and-cover tunnelling is a simple and cost-effective method of construction of shallow tunnels; the road is excavated to create a trench and roofed over. A strong overhead support system is required to carry the load of the covering material. “The shallow tunnel would be a four-lane road under the existing Marine Drive. We’re sending the recommendation from the consultants to the Cabinet,” said Gavai.

MP Milind Deora had criticised the decision on a tunnel under Malabar Hill. When asked about the protest, Public Works Minister Vimaltai Mundada said, “We will weigh all options before deciding on the alignment.”

Earlier, the Government was considering a direct tunnel from Haji Ali to Nariman Point — an option Deora and other residents are demanding — but it was later ruled out by the state-appointed consultant, UK-based Arup CES.

Spooked horses, scared members (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Mumbai/Spooked-horses-scared-members/articleshow/4120810.cms)

MUMBAI: The BMC and traffic police's plan to construct a 1.5-km elevated road over the city's lungs, the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC),
to ease traffic emerging from the Bandra-Worli sealink, may face stiff resistance from members of the club and citizens.

The nine-member RWITC committee, which meets on Sunday to discuss the BMC plan, will look at its environmental and ecological impact and how it could hurt the racing ability of the 1,500 thoroughbred horses kept in the quaint surroundings of the club's stables before each race.

Dr Dinesh, a vet on Vijay Mallya's Kunigan Stud Farms, told TOI that the noise and pollution from vehicles, if the plan is accepted, will affect horses' racing ability. "Thoroughbreds prefer a quiet environment. So an elevated corridor over the stables will be detrimental to their well-being,'' he said.

Other RWITC members who met municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak on Thursday said they will oppose such a move, especially on two technical grounds. First, the corridor link is not required since a Worli-Haji Ali Link road is already in the pipeline, which will solve traffic woes of the area. Secondly, if the road exits on Tulsi Pipe Road, it is sure to create a bottleneck near the already congested Mahalaxmi station. "This is the ecological heart of Mumbai, home to best thoroughbreds, flora and fauna and heritage structures. Why would one want to disturb them?'' said an RWITC member.

The security issue is also a major concern for members. Each equine costs nothing less than Rs 10 lakh and crores ride on a single race on an average. All this will be endangered by the plan, members fear.

"We would rather bring down unauthorised structures at the three restaurants than implement this plan.''

The RWITC, as part of the lease agreement with BMC, is already providing a jogger's park, children's ride, equestrian sports and helipad facility, being used by politicians, corporates and the general public.

The state government, by way of licence fees, ground rents and betting taxes, earns a revenue of Rs 40 crore from the race course every year.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/02/13/005/13_02_2009_005_003.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

Is this possible?

The newly opened flyover at the Domestic Airport junction on the WEH

photo copyright: KB335ci2
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/2692/p1010006yd0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)



Whats happening here?It looks like the same the last time I looked nearly 2 yrs back.

^^
You're probably confusing the Vakola flyover with the domestic airport flyover.

i was talking about the hotel,sorry if it wasnt clear.

Yeah I was thinking the same about the exterior of the Sahara Star Hotel.

Whats going on?

These flyovers aren't going to get done

Mumbai:

Bottlenecks will continue to be a reality at Malad and on the Sion Trombay Road

Two locations on the Eastern and Western Express Highways have become bottlenecks for traffic, thanks to the half-constructed flyovers by the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA). These are the Suman Nagar flyover on EEH and Kandivali flyover on WEH.

The Rs 26 crore Kandivali flyover, popularly called as Times Of India flyover, is stuck because of a nullah that is just few metres away from the under-construction flyover pillars. An official from Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) that is constructing both these flyovers said, "Unless the road is widened over the nullah, we won't be able to go ahead with work. If we begin the work and barricade the road, it will become a serious traffic concern, as vehicles won't have space to move."

According to the MSRDC official, road widening has to be done by the MMRDA which looks after both EEH and WEH. Presently, a complete one lane can be added for motorists if this nullah is covered and road is widened.

However, the MMRDA refutes this allegation. S Nandargikar, Chief Engineer, MMRDA said, "We have given full permission to MSRDC to widen the road and cover the nullah."

The Rs 17 crore Suman Nagar flyover on EEH has been stuck since its inception in 2003. Mumbai Traffic police have demanded a chowkie beneath the flyover in return for a full no-objection certificate for the project. An official from MSRDC, on condition of anonymity, said, "Traffic police wants us to build a chowkie below the flyover in return for permission from their department." MSRDC will have to fund this chowkie that would cost nearly Rs 12-15 lakh.

The task of constructing this flyover will be a challenging on V N Purav Marg, popularly known as Sion Trombay road, which would require MSRDC permission from the traffic police to close this road for motorists. Sanjay Barve confirmed that the chowkie would come beneath the Suman Nagar flyover, but said, "The chowkie will be built only after the flyover is constructed." Peak hours are tough times for motorists on both these stretches and till the time these issues are sorted, traffic jams will be a regular feature.

Source: Mid-day

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/03/03/003/03_03_2009_003_008.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

^^
Dude, I took a cab to my dad's office this morning. I had to ask the cab driver to PLEASE stop honking, and he went, "Sahab, kya karega, aage waala gaadi jayegi hi nahi!" That pissed the eff outta me. I don't get why these morons don't quite understand that cars can't fly! These Dumb F**** UP/ Bihari cabbies have NO BRAINS. I'm convinced of it.

The definition of a 'nano-second': the period of time between when the traffic light turns green, and the car behind you honks.

My compulsory yoga routine every morning DOES NOT help me control my anger towards these idiots!

^^
Dude, I took a cab to my dad's office this morning. I had to ask the cab driver to PLEASE stop honking, and he went, "Sahab, kya karega, aage waala gaadi jayegi hi nahi!" That pissed the eff outta me. I don't get why these morons don't quite understand that cars can't fly! These Dumb F**** UP/ Bihari cabbies have NO BRAINS. I'm convinced of it.

The definition of a 'nano-second': the period of time between when the traffic light turns green, and the car behind you honks.

My compulsory yoga routine every morning DOES NOT help me control my anger towards these idiots!

Careful, you're walkin' down Thackeray lane.

I mean, how in the world can you lower Uttar Pradeshis to the level of Biharis??

:)

^^
Dude, I took a cab to my dad's office this morning. I had to ask the cab driver to PLEASE stop honking, and he went, "Sahab, kya karega, aage waala gaadi jayegi hi nahi!" That pissed the eff outta me. I don't get why these morons don't quite understand that cars can't fly! These Dumb F**** UP/ Bihari cabbies have NO BRAINS. I'm convinced of it.

The definition of a 'nano-second': the period of time between when the traffic light turns green, and the car behind you honks.

My compulsory yoga routine every morning DOES NOT help me control my anger towards these idiots!

Drivin' for livin is very boring.Gives them some entertainment

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/03/05/002/05_03_2009_002_004.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Officials-put-Rapid-Bus-plan-on-fast-lane/articleshow/4225422.cms

Mumbai is finally getting down to implementing the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), which involves dedicated lanes for public and private buses.
After the election code of conduct lapses, officials plan to begin the tendering process for various contracts in July.

Initially, as a pilot project, there will be two Dedicated Bus Lanes (DBL), built at a cost of Rs 100 crore, along the Eastern and Western Express Highways. A full-fledged BRTS on these highways is expected to cost a minimum of Rs 1,500 crore, while the project planned for the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) would cost Rs 3,500 crore. The DBLs could take six months to complete, while the overall BRTS for the MMR could take a year-and-a-half.

A report submitted in February by Consulting Engineering Services India Pvt Ltd has chalked out a plan for the MMR. The report was compiled on the directives of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and a state-level committee headed by chief secretary Johny Joseph.

"We have received the report and held initial talks with the BEST and BMC on implementing the BRTS on the Eastern and Western Express Highways. We have assured the BEST and BMC expertise and planning support from the MMRDA,'' said MMRDA chief Ratnakar Gaikwad. BEST chairman Uttam Khobragade said the undertaking is ready to ply buses on the routes.

The announcement that Maharashtra's quota of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission funds will be increased this year from Rs 5,050 crore to Rs 6,500 crore has also enthused BRTS planners. For the MMRDA, this means Rs 1,500 crore more for purchasing buses for Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane for the BRTS.

After studying the BRTS failures of Delhi and Pune, the CESIPL report specifies that technical follies in designing junctions, signalling and traffic handling should be avoided. "In Delhi, it did not work initially because of mismanagement in handling private vehicles and wrong designing of junctions, stops and signalling. Speeding cars and pedestrians crossing bus corridors also resulted in several accidents at Delhi and Pune,'' said an MMRDA engineer.

"Pressure from the public, traffic experts and the judiciary to decongest Mumbai's roads by at least 20% is also making the MMRDA and BEST give impetus to the BRTS plan,'' said an MMRDA official.

Transport experts like Sudhir Badami, Ashok Datar and Arun Mokashi and social workers like Nikhil Desai have strongly recommended the BRTS for all major arterial roads, pointing out that Delhi and Pune had overcome initial mistakes to implement workable systems, albeit at lesser potential.

Recently, joint commissioner of police (traffic) Sanjay Barve told the MMRDA that bus lanes should not be physically segregated with dividers, but have spring pop-ups.

The maximum speed on the highway DBLs will be 50 km per hour, as against 70 km per hour in Delhi and Pune. While initially the outer lanes will be DBLs, this could change later when the full BRTS comes into effect, an official said. S V Road, L B S Road, Sion-Panvel highway, Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road and Marine Drive may also get bus lanes.

Road to a Hotter Mumbai

Road to a hotter Mumbai
By: Shashank Rao

Mumbai: CLEAN cement roads within the city and across Western and Eastern Express Highway are adding to the temperature rise, say BMC officials, 37 degrees at the start of summer in March.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) are concretising and maintaining nearly 400 km of cement roads in Mumbai. However, these roads are not as absorbent as asphalt roads and reflect the sun's rays back into the atmosphere, sending temperatures up.

The MMRDA has already concretised roads on both WEH and EEH, many link roads and will concretise the entire Bandra Kurla Complex. Similarly the BMC too is in the process of replacing asphalt roads with Cement Concrete (CC) roads. It has already replaced nearly 400 km out of 1,940 km of road with concrete. A BMC official said, "CC roads don't give in during rains but on the other hand asphalt roads absorb heat faster."

Experts feel trees can make a difference in reducing the heat emitted by roads, buildings and other surroundings. Dev Niyogi, an expert in climate changes said, "Concrete roads with some green zones are perhaps better than black tar roads to reduce heating."

Source: Mid-day

It's great that MMRDA is pursuing concrete. Concrete is easily the best road material for areas with heavy rainfall and high costs of road replacement in terms of traffic headaches. Concrete will go a long way towards improving the appearance of the city, so long as it can bear the initial costs. On the other hand, concrete has to be done right. If MMRDA tries to cut corners with concrete like removing, it will have a rutted out piece of junk in less than 3 years time.

Made a trip to the suburbs...
all photos copyright: KB335ci2

The Western Express Highway

Northbound

The Vakola Flyover
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6268/p1010071h.jpg (http://img10.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010071h.jpg)


The Santacruz Airport Flyover
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/8241/p1010074o.jpg (http://img26.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010074o.jpg)
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/6263/p1010075.jpg (http://img18.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010075.jpg)
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/8182/p1010076g.jpg (http://img17.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010076g.jpg)


Past Andheri...
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/2122/p1010077q.jpg (http://img14.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010077q.jpg)
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/1851/p1010078.jpg (http://img255.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010078.jpg)


A pile up on the southbound carriageway of a Goregaon flyover caused a jam a couple of kilometres long...
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/6725/p1010081p.jpg (http://img22.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010081p.jpg)
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7085/p1010082.jpg (http://img98.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010082.jpg)


Approaching Kandivali...
http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8422/p1010083a.jpg (http://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010083a.jpg)
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/8810/p1010085d.jpg (http://img9.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010085d.jpg)
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/6426/p1010086v.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010086v.jpg)



Southbound

Somewhere near (or in?) Kandivali...
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/9855/p1010089x.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010089x.jpg)


Flyover construction in progress...
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/6996/p1010092q.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010092q.jpg)
http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/6306/p1010093p.jpg (http://img16.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010093p.jpg)


Approaching Goregaon...
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/5189/p1010097x.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010097x.jpg)


?? Flyover
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/9572/p1010102d.jpg (http://img14.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010102d.jpg)

I really appreciate your pictures KB.

Looks like almost each and everyone is following the lanes. Good signs. So people are getting more aware towards lane organization. What you think KB?

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/03/10/003/10_03_2009_003_004.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

I really appreciate your pictures KB.

Looks like almost each and everyone is following the lanes. Good signs. So people are getting more aware towards lane organization. What you think KB?

Thanks, Bhargav.
I think that many drivers stay in lane, but there are many who violate the white lines just 'coz they don't know any better. Some drivers need to be "coaxed" into their lane by a little show of force (which can be fun, sometimes). Properly marked roads force drivers to observe lane discipline, so the more of these well marked roads there are, the better the overall driving discipline. If the metropolitan region were to ever get rid of those pesky auto-rickshaws, you'll find that most people WILL follow the rules of the road.

One thing's for sure tho' - Bombayites are definitely more disciplined than the rest of the country, and even mainland Maharashtra.


Some more...

photos copyright: KB335ci2

Southbound past Santacruz airport...
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/5995/p1010105.jpg (http://img18.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010105.jpg)

Southbound on the Vakola flyover...
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/8528/p1010106z.jpg (http://img18.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010106z.jpg)

Nowhere in the world are there hawkers on skywalks, why are we adding this in mumbai. Soon these skywalks will become shanties like those foot over bridges on railway stations.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/03/10/003/10_03_2009_003_004.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

please don't tell me that in post 211(probably 4th or 5th pic) the guy is riding his bike on the median!!:bash:

Nowhere in the world are there hawkers on skywalks, why are we adding this in mumbai. Soon these skywalks will become shanties like those foot over bridges on railway stations.

I agree. No drains, no waste disposal. the skywalk will soon become a skyshanty.

please don't tell me that in post 211(probably 4th or 5th pic) the guy is riding his bike on the median!!


haha. I knew someone was going to point that out. That smart-ass biker couldn't stand to spend another minute in that awful jam.

P.S: driving/riding on the median is NOT routine in Bombay.

P.S: driving/riding on the median is NOT routine in Bombay.:lol:

I agree. No drains, no waste disposal. the skywalk will soon become a skyshanty.

And this also reminds me of financial times analysis of projects undertaken by Indian governments. It said that the indian govt. is famous for notorious planning. As the Bandra skywalk was just a little bit success and the only project completed by old CM, this dumb govt is spending more skywalks worth Rs 600 crore around railway stations.

When we need to replace suburban railway system completely with modern world class metro, then why invest more around suburban railway stations?

Thanks, Bhargav.
I think that many drivers stay in lane, but there are many who violate the white lines just 'coz they don't know any better. Some drivers need to be "coaxed" into their lane by a little show of force (which can be fun, sometimes). Properly marked roads force drivers to observe lane discipline, so the more of these well marked roads there are, the better the overall driving discipline. If the metropolitan region were to ever get rid of those pesky auto-rickshaws, you'll find that most people WILL follow the rules of the road.

One thing's for sure tho' - Bombayites are definitely more disciplined than the rest of the country, and even mainland Maharashtra.

Nice pics, KB. Thanks for sharing :)

Judging from your pics, drivers in Mumbai are much more disciplined than their counterparts in Delhi when it comes to lane driving. And you echoed my thoughts on the 'pesky' autorickshaws. I have no scientific backing, but I strongly feel road discipline will be much better without the autorickshaws. They are small, a lane is too big for them; they are slow, other cars behind them overtake them anytime/anywhere, thus breaking lane rule; and most auto drivers have no knowledge of road rules. Might I also add that they look ugly and aren't safe at all.

Mr. Tata may not like it, but the Nano is the perfect alternative. There are some roadblocks like having to teach the thousands of autowallahs how to drive a four wheeler, and in the case of Delhi, creating CNG versions of the car. These problems can be overcome if the government shows interest. Let the Nanos roll in.

Thanks Zhiemi; I have no scientific backing either, but there isn't a shadow of doubt in my mind that road discipline in our major metros will improve drastically after the three-wheelers have been gotten rid of. Suburban traffic in Bombay, although better than the rest of the country, is far below the island city's standards. I can't imagine what would've become of SoBo if those rickitty-ricks were allowed to ply here.

I agree with the fact that the TATA Nano should replace auto-rickshaws, but again, there needs to be regulation, and proper instruction.

On another note, I was driving behind a 'learner' one day (I know she was a learner 'coz of the gigantic 'L' sticker which spread halfway across her compact car), and I noticed that she wasn't wearing her seat-belt, and was indicating turns with her hands! :crazy:

I pulled up against the compact, and noticed she had a private driving instructor sitting beside her. This half-baked "instructor" had no clue what a seat-belt is, or even how to use indicators, and made sure the learner drove in the DEAD-CENTRE of the bloody street with no respect for white lines.
I couldn't help myself from stopping them and asking the "instructor" to learn the basics of proper driving before "teaching" his student. Friggin' morons.

Lol. Oh well, we have a lot of catching up to do. Good to know things are better in the island city.

The system ought to change. People need to be really qualified to do what they are made to do. I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon in our lifetime :ohno:

thank god for south bombay. though i wonder why they call it the island city, the rest is also part of the (now) same island

one of my long running fantasies is going to the burbs in a monster truck and running over all the pesky ricks. crush them like mosquitoes, the @*^£&*!!

please don't tell me that in post 211(probably 4th or 5th pic) the guy is riding his bike on the median!!:bash:

:lol: he sure is.... Just to get pass the traffic.... we Indians rock at breaking rules man for sure....

@ KB..

Yeah man, the auto rickshaws are really nuisance... Slow and rule breakers again... I doubt if we will see these small vehicles go at least in the next 10 years...

LOL...KB, Zhiemi and Bombay Boy you guys are echoing my thoughts about the Rickshaw, TATA Nano and the traffic sense among Indian drivers. It's time for Rickshaw (junk) to retire. Bring the Nano in please.

Bombay Boy I like your fantacy about the monster truck.;)

First of all, the reason there is so much crowding around stations is because they allow hawkers to sit and sell their items and take up half the space. So everyone else has only 1/2 the foot over bridge. If they removed these people, the crowding would be much much less.

They should not even think of allowing hawkers on the skywalks! Skywalks should also have travelators if they are really long. This is the case in most other cities which have skywalks.


When we need to replace suburban railway system completely with modern world class metro, then why invest more around suburban railway stations?

The suburban railway system, though crowded, is extremely efficient. If you look at a satellite image of Mumbai, it's actually built around the suburban railway. I agree that the suburban railway needs to be completely redone. But if you're saying that we should abandon the suburban railway, then I would totally disagree.

http://www.teachersparadise.com/ency/en/media/4/41/mumbai_terra_600px.jpg

^^
Can someone knowledgeable please explain what the satellite image above is supposed to convey? Where are the 3 linear railway lines? I don't see the correlation between the development of Bombay and the railway lines on the map above.

What most people don't realise is that hawkers are an integral part of Bombay's culture, centered around the local train network. Most middle-class and lower middle-class households depend on these hawkers for their daily essential purchases. Many of the city's commuters shop at these makeshift stalls either on their way to, or mostly after work. It would be foolish (and detrimental to the micro economy of the area) to do away with these hawkers, although I completely agree with the fact that these demarcated hawking zones need to be made fool-proof, in terms of sanitation and drainage.
Integrating these hawker-units with the station (by means of a skywalk), provides seamless connectivity between commuter/ customer and hawker. It is best to improve the way 'hawking' functions around stations, rather than letting our streets and sidewalks decay with illegal/ legal shops hogging-up all there is to consume.

work has started on the eastern freeway. almost from the junction of carnac bridge and p d mello road to anik panjrapole, there is some activity going on. there are boards/signs with Simplex's name all over them.

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8103/img0708b.th.jpg (http://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0708b.jpg)
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/650/img0709u.th.jpg (http://img7.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0709u.jpg)
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7549/img0710r.th.jpg (http://img9.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0710r.jpg)

you mean the eastern freeway. the eastern express highway has been there for ages (dadar-matunga-sion-chembur-etc)

you mean the eastern freeway. the eastern express highway has been there for ages (dadar-matunga-sion-chembur-etc)

i stand corrected. i meant the eastern freeway. thx

^^

What most people don't realise is that hawkers are an integral part of Bombay's culture, centered around the local train network.

I think there is so much more to that "Culture" issue. I think a lot of problems(issues) in India are attributed to the people's mentality that the culture is static. I totally disagree with that, if you are saying that the hawkers are an integral part of Bombay's culture, you are one of those people who believe cultures can't be bend or change. I think now it's time to put some sense in the general public and most importantly in hawkers that the public places are not meant for their "little business". By no means I am saying that you should not help them. May be government should encourage them to form an association. Once they have raised required capital throught the association, the government should lend them low interest loan to help start their shop(s). It's about turning illegimate practice in to a legimate business. The government can actually raise sales tax, property tax and eventually income tax through these business.

Skywalks are made from tax-payers money. They can't sell stuff without paying sales tax or property tax on public property.

^^
Can someone knowledgeable please explain what the satellite image above is supposed to convey? Where are the 3 linear railway lines? I don't see the correlation between the development of Bombay and the railway lines on the map above.



Sorry, I thought it was obvious. Navi Mumbai, Suburban Mumbai and Thane have all developed with the the train as backbone. Hope this image can show it.

This image shows the suburbs of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. You can see that urban development in the suburbs has always been centered around the railway

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/4340/bombayl7.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bombayl7.jpg)

Sorry, I thought it was obvious. Navi Mumbai, Suburban Mumbai and Thane have all developed with the the train as backbone. Hope this image can show it.

This image shows the suburbs of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. You can see that urban development in the suburbs has always been centered around the railway


I think you are generalizing too much. If that were true, we would have no requirement for an east-west metro, for example. It looks that way because mumbai itself is a thin strip of land.

work has started on the eastern freeway. almost from the junction of carnac bridge and p d mello road to anik panjrapole, there is some activity going on. there are boards/signs with Simplex's name all over them.


thanks for the pics jubin... did you get to check the sahar elevated road?
in december, work was in full swing - progressing faster than the metro i thought.

thanks for the pics jubin... did you get to check the sahar elevated road?
in december, work was in full swing - progressing faster than the metro i thought.

yes i did see work for that as well. sadly no photos though :-(

about the relative pace i have no idea.

there is construction going almost on the entire stretch of the road from sion circle upto byculla. i saw signage for j kumar infra projects everywhere. didn't click any photos, though

yeah. they are adding flyovers at all remaining signal junctions. after this you can travel from VT to pune without any signals (well, almost any. i think one or two will remain in new bombay just before the expressway)

yeah. they are adding flyovers at all remaining signal junctions. after this you can travel from VT to pune without any signals (well, almost any. i think one or two will remain in new bombay just before the expressway)

i believe there will still be a few more stop lights in chembur. that's a minor kvetch. however what i am interested in finding out is how are they going to solve the problem at chembur naka. this is where the monorail and the mankhurd/charkop line will cross each other. this intersection is already a nightmare.

First of all, the reason there is so much crowding around stations is because they allow hawkers to sit and sell their items and take up half the space. So everyone else has only 1/2 the foot over bridge. If they removed these people, the crowding would be much much less.

They should not even think of allowing hawkers on the skywalks! Skywalks should also have travelators if they are really long. This is the case in most other cities which have skywalks.



The suburban railway system, though crowded, is extremely efficient. If you look at a satellite image of Mumbai, it's actually built around the suburban railway. I agree that the suburban railway needs to be completely redone. But if you're saying that we should abandon the suburban railway, then I would totally disagree.

http://www.teachersparadise.com/ency/en/media/4/41/mumbai_terra_600px.jpg

This is the problem with Indian Railways, they say that they made 90K crore profit and we're buying metro rail coaches for Mumbai metro from China. What kind of profit and development is this? We need to invest in R&D, IR is running railways for last 60 years and they did not absolutely innovate anything. They are simply running what British gave them.

I think there is so much more to that "Culture" issue. I think a lot of problems(issues) in India are attributed to the people's mentality that the culture is static. I totally disagree with that, if you are saying that the hawkers are an integral part of Bombay's culture, you are one of those people who believe cultures can't be bend or change. I think now it's time to put some sense in the general public and most importantly in hawkers that the public places are not meant for their "little business". By no means I am saying that you should not help them. May be government should encourage them to form an association. Once they have raised required capital throught the association, the government should lend them low interest loan to help start their shop(s). It's about turning illegimate practice in to a legimate business. The government can actually raise sales tax, property tax and eventually income tax through these business.

Skywalks are made from tax-payers money. They can't sell stuff without paying sales tax or property tax on public property.

For us to deliberate about whether or not hawking is part of our culture, and the 'mentality change' issue and the like, is a waste of time. This is more an issue of necessity. The fact is that many commuters use the quick and easy services provided by these hawkers, so in that sense, it is certain that 'hawking' is part of Bombay's 'shopping culture'.

It's not like the city hasn't tried various options before. Earlier plans to rehabilitate hawkers from the street, and put them up in multi-storied hawking zones FAILED (for the most part). Railway commuters in Bombay aren't going to expend any remaining energy at the end of a busy day to shop at a multi-storied 'hawking plaza', often far away from railway station entry and exit points.
I'm aware that pedestrain over-bridges/ skywalks are meant for pedestrians, thanks. A combination of the two - i.e; pedestrian skywalk + hawking zone (controlled and regulated) would work quite well, IMHO, and that's where part of the "cultural change" lies. To integrate the two (since they share a somewhat symbiotic relationship) into a modern, sanitary environment could be a way forward for all you know. Hawkers selling their wares can't occupy the entire length of a walkway, OBVIOUSLY, but giving them a designated, integrated space-within-a-space makes for a viable option.

I know this design is a bit far out (for now), but I hope it gives you a general idea of what I'm trying to convey...

image copyright: KB335ci2
http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/170/ncoirosbv.jpg (http://img410.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ncoirosbv.jpg)

I apologise for the size of the rendering.

This is the problem with Indian Railways, they say that they made 90K crore profit and we're buying metro rail coaches for Mumbai metro from China. What kind of profit and development is this? We need to invest in R&D, IR is running railways for last 60 years and they did not absolutely innovate anything. They are simply running what British gave them.

Railway needs to stop manufacturing coaches, and Disinvest the Integrated Coach Factory or whatever it is that they use to manufacture them.

I'm waiting for NDA to come back this year and bring back the Disinvestment Ministry.

KB - I understand your point about commuters wanting to use the quick services provided by the hawkers, but come on, at least not on the skywalk. You mentioned that the government has tried putting them in a multi-storied hawking zone and failed. Why don't build these hawking zones right next to the stations? That way the commuters and hawkers both would be happy. It is universal that you have to sacrifice something in order to follow the law, but in the end your gain would definitely exceed your losses (I am not talking about monetary gain or loss). I agree with you about "A combination of the two - i.e; pedestrian skywalk + hawking zone (controlled and regulated)" but the hawking zone should be near the skywalk not on the skywalk.

By the way, I don't see what you are trying to say through the rendering above.

^^
I'll try and make a larger rendering.

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1239743&#comments

It's official. The dedicated bus lanes to be introduced in the city will be demarcated along the median on the highways. After much deliberation, the authorities have decided to mark these lanes along the divider, rather than the far-off ends where bus stops usually are, despite the decision requiring massive construction along the highways, as well as re-engineering of the buses.

"The dedicated bus lanes will come up along medians of Eastern and Western Express highways," said Uttam Khobragade, BEST general manager.

The project, which has been in a limbo for quite some time might see the light of the day as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region
Development Authority (MMRDA) has already appointed Consulting Engineering Studies (CES) to submit a feasibility report about introducing the much-touted bus rapid transit system (BRTS).

"It is a long procedure. A lot of changes will have to be made to ensure that the project is successful. A lot of re-engineering like changing the design of the buses, the entry and exit doors of the bus, the approaches to the bus stops, etc. will have to be undertaken," Khobragade said.

It may be recalled that in April last year the state government was rethinking its decision of introducing the BRTS after the initiative failed in New Delhi. The capital had introduced the BRTS without studying the traffic patterns, vehicular load on the roads and space occupied by cars and other heavy vehicles. In Mumbai, the problem arises once the corridor enters the city limits at Mahim on western and Sion on the eastern side.

Last week, Jaime Lerner, the father of the BRTS, had visited Mumbai to promote mass transportation. A former mayor of Curtiba, a metropolis in Brazil, this urban planner and architect had said: "It took more than three years for the BRTS to become successful in Brazil. During those days, it wasn't feasible to have an urban rail system. We were thinking about various alternatives and designed the dedicated paid lanes along which we operated three-coach buses that could carry more than 300 passengers. Currently, it is being used by over 2.3 million passengers daily."

Why do I need another traffic jam?

Oh God , no - what will it take for these thick headed idiots to realize that extending the metro is the solution to traffic voes and not narrowing the roads furthur.

The faster people realize that people WILL not leave their vehicles to travel on state buses the better it is.

The only long term and permanent solution for Mumbai is to get better roads. That is it. Why do we need so many different modes of transportation. Suburban Trains, Metro, Monorail, BRTS, Taxis, Autorickshaws, Buses???? Why so many. These are the experiments that the government is doing. If not implemented in the right way, it will be mess.

For example, remember how some flyovers are built and are left halfway unfinished for almost 15 years (I am talking about Kandivali Flyover which was right across my home left unfinished for almost 15 years) and there are some projects which will get a great hype from the government, but takes years in even getting started. Metro, Monorail, NMIA, and MTHL are the best examples.

Even if the government is serious about something like this, it is not going to work for Mumbai. There is not much space for it. If left unfinished, it will create a horrible traffic scenario and it would almost be impossible to clear such mess.

'Hawking' is part of asian culture.
The debate is non issue.The solution is simple.
Malaysia,Thailand and Singapore.
Hawkers markets.
Poor people have a right to both earn a living and serve their communities.
(And us too when we buy from them of course)

Why did the local version fail?