Mumbai's Vidyavihar flyover to open in October after two decades of delays

What Happened

The long-delayed Vidyavihar flyover in Mumbai is set to open in October as construction enters its final stage. Civic officials stated that work is almost complete and the bridge should open by early next month, though a 45-day curing period is required before it becomes operational.

Project Details

The new flyover passes over the Vidyavihar railway station and features a 100-metre bridge built over the railway tracks. It connects Ramchandra Chemburkar Marg on the eastern side with Lal Bahadur Shastri Road on the western side, creating a key link between Mumbai's eastern and western suburbs to ease traffic congestion.

Delays and Coordination

Although the design for the railway portion was prepared back in 2016 with an expected completion date of 2022, the project faced nearly two decades of delays due to design changes, the Covid-19 pandemic, and other challenges that pushed the latest deadline to September 8. Before opening, the BMC will coordinate with the Traffic Police, N Ward officials, and the gardens department to streamline traffic flow. Additional municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar has instructed officials to check for bottlenecks such as roadside shops, trees, and footpaths on approach roads, and to prevent peak-hour traffic jams.