Mumbai: The much-anticipated Chedda Nagar Flyover on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) was opened to motorists following its inauguration by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday.
The notorious choke point at Chedda Nagar Junction is a common convergence where traffic from both the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) and Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) meet. This leads to massive traffic gridlocks, affecting movement in both the eastern and western suburbs.
Following persistent complaints from motorists, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) initiated the ‘Chedda Nagar Junction Traffic Improvement’ project in 2017, with an estimated cost of Rs 249 crore.
The new flyover will direct motorists towards Vikhroli, Mulund, Thane, and further along connecting routes to Nashik, according to signboards placed at the entry of the northbound lane.
On Saturday, the first day motorists were allowed on the flyover, The Free Press Journal spoke to a few to gauge their reactions. Sanjeev Singh, a motorist, said, 'I was unhappy with the concretisation; it feels incomplete. The ride was quite shaky on the first day.' Sanjeev Tailang, another motorist, remarked, 'The chances of a bottleneck at the entrance are high, as heavy traffic from SCLR converges at that spot. Still, it feels like a relief.' Dr J. Gada, a motorist from Mulund, added, 'I expect traffic will flow smoothly on the Chedda Nagar flyover since the road is wide, but the entrance is at a key intersection with traffic from SCLR, GMLR, and Sion. I hope it's managed well by the traffic police, though I have my doubts.
Reportedly, the project included plans to construct three flyovers and one vehicular subway. As part of this, a three-lane Ghatkopar flyover, providing east-to-west connectivity between Chedda Nagar and SCLR, was completed and opened for motorists in 2022.
Despite this, traffic congestion between Thane and Mumbai persisted. MMRDA officials predict that the newly inaugurated Chedda Nagar flyover will help ease this congestion, as nearly 6,000 vehicles use the Chedda Nagar stretch daily.
In 2023, another flyover was opened, crossing above the Chedda Nagar junction from Indian Oil Corporation on the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road (GMLR) and connecting to Thane.
In addition to traffic from EEH and SCLR, vehicles arriving from Mankhurd via the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road further worsen the congestion at Chedda Nagar Junction, especially for motorists heading towards Thane.
Chembur’s Amar Mahal Junction, another major choke point, is expected to see significant relief once the Chedda Nagar flyover starts sharing the load of vehicles heading towards Chembur.
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As part of the project's future plans, another south-north flyover connecting Amar Mahal in Chembur to Vikhroli is in the pipeline. MMRDA officials have stated that the work on this flyover is 95 percent complete and is expected to be opened to traffic soon.