India's first double-decker flyover becomes operational in Mumbai

 

There is a clarification at the end of this article

The much-delayed Santacruz Chembur Link Road (SCLR) and the Amar Mahal junction flyover, which are expected to decongest the Eastern and Western Express Highways in the city, were on Friday thrown open to vehicular traffic.

The 3.5-km Link Road and the 1,096-metre Amar Mahal junction flyover are aimed at easing traffic snarls at Amar Mahal, Sion and Kalanagar junctions and in Kurla in central Mumbai. They will enable travel from Santacruz to Chembur in a mere 15-20 minutes.

Normally, it takes around 60-90 minutes during peak hours. The entire 6.5 km long stretch, including the country's first double-decker flyover, is expected to cater to 200,000 vehicles daily.

The Rs 450-crore SCLR project, conceptualised in 2002, missed 12 deadlines due to issues related to resettlement, rehabilitation and encroachment. The groundwork commenced only in 2007.

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, the implementing agency, resettled and rehabilitated more than 3,500 affected families from Gazi Nagar, Buddha Colony, Sable Nagar, Rahul Nagar and Indira Colony areas.

Clarification

Mumbai's double-decker flyover is not in the first in the country. According to an article that distinction belongs to Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. The error is regretted.