BMC plans new elevated road to ease Mahim traffic

Proposed site to connect Senapati Bapat Marg (Tulsi Pipe Road) in Mahim to the Western Express Highway. Pics/Ashish Raje

If all goes as planned, a new elevated road will connect Senapati Bapat Marg (Tulsi Pipe Road) in Mahim to the Western Express Highway. The G North ward of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to conduct a total station survey to identify structures and encroachments along the proposed alignment.

The BMC has invited tenders to appoint an agency for the survey. "This survey will identify the structures that will be affected by the project," said an official. Once the survey is completed, the eligibility of these structures for compensation will be determined. As per policy, eligible shanties will receive alternative accommodation or monetary compensation, depending on their size, the official added.

The BMC first proposed this connector in its 2022-23 budget. Now, it has begun preliminary work by appointing an agency for the survey. Mahim resident Irfan Machiwala welcomed the project. "This elevated road is much needed, as it can save at least 30 minutes during peak hours. It will also help ease congestion at St Michael Church junction and on the causeway," he said.

Why this connector?

According to BMC documents, the elevated road will serve as an alternative to the causeway, reducing the travel distance by approximately 1.7 km. Currently, vehicles on Tulsi Pipe Road must use the causeway to reach S V Road and the Western Express Highway. The new road will provide direct access from Tulsi Pipe Road via the Fisherman Colony in Mahim.

"This connector will allow motorists to reach the highway directly from Bapat Marg," officials said. St Michael Church junction, notorious for heavy traffic, is expected to see a significant reduction in congestion once the connector is built. Senapati Bapat Marg is one of the city's oldest roads, running from Mahim to Lower Parel. Previously known as Tulsi Pipe Road, it was named after the pipeline from Tulsi Lake that supplies water to Mumbai.

How connector will work

The estimated cost of the project is Rs 238 crore. The elevated road will have two arms:
>> One arm, 319 metres long, will connect to the Western Express Highway, allowing traffic to flow towards Mahim
>> The second arm, 512 metres long, will extend to the cloverleaf junction at Bandra, connecting S V Road and Bapat Marg. This arm will also provide access to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link
>> The main elevated stretch from Mahim to the Western Express Highway will be 420 metres long and feature four lanes