Construction progress reported at 78 per cent for double-decker section; commuter woes due to signals

Motorists eager to use the double-decker flyover connecting Andheri West to Poonam Nagar via the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road will need to wait until June 2026. The construction of the 5.08 km long flyover, along with Metro Line 7, is progressing rapidly.

To alleviate traffic congestion and enhance connectivity between Andheri West and Jogeshwari East, the BMC proposed a 5.08 km flyover from New Link Road (near Infinity Mall), Andheri West to Poonam Nagar, JVLR, Jogeshwari East. Due to overlap with Metro Line 6, the BMC has transferred the construction of the flyover to the MMRDA.

A source close to the development said, “Of the total flyover length, 0.93 km has already been constructed by the BMC. The MMRDA is now constructing the remaining portion, which includes a 2.58 km double-decker flyover (with the first level for vehicles and the second level for Metro Line 6) being built by DMRC, with 78 per cent physical progress to date. Additionally, 1.57 km of the flyover is a single-level structure (referred to as Missing Links), including a cable-stayed bridge crossing over the Western Express Highway (WEH) and Metro Line 7 (ML-7), which has 13 per cent physical progress. The entire flyover is expected to be completed by June 2026.”

Currently, motorists travelling from Swami Samarth Nagar in Andheri West to Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road in Jogeshwari East face delays due to traffic signals at the SV Road junction and Western Express Highway. During peak hours, commuters experience significant traffic jams. Once completed, the flyover will allow motorists to bypass both signals and reach Poonam Nagar on JVLR in less than 20 minutes from Swami Samarth Nagar, saving time and fuel. Motorist Shreela Roy said, “I like the Coastal Road strategy; they are opening up as each phase gets completed. The same approach should be adopted here. It will help distribute traffic and provide a huge relief for commuters.”

Dhaval Shah, president of the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens’ Association (LOCA), said, “Line 6 won’t start before the end of 2027, but traffic congestion needs to be reduced urgently to alleviate commuters’ agony. LOCA demands that work on these elevated sections be expedited and opened as soon as possible to save lakhs of productive man-hours. It will significantly improve mobility in the suburbs.”

Another Andheri West resident, Sampath Iyengar, added, “It’s been almost ten years since the flyover from JVLR to Lokhandwala near Infinity Mall was started. Half of it was constructed, and the other half remains incomplete. If the flyover had been finished on time, we would have avoided much of the suffering experienced when the Gokhale Bridge was shut for traffic. The Swami Samarth Nagar to Poonam Nagar flyover will be a crucial connector that will help address the traffic issues in the area. With the Metro yard for the Swami Samarth Nagar to Vikhroli metro line still pending, the authorities should prioritise completing the flyover and opening it to the public.”