Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
Govindwadi bypass to open after rains
After facing numerous hurdles, the 1.6-km road is almost complete and aims to unclog Kalyan (West)
KALYAN: The struggle to cross the congested, waterlogged Shivaji Chowk in Kalyan (West) will continue as Govindwadi bypass shows no sign of opening before monsoon.
The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) had planned to make the bypass operational and divert traffic at Shivaji Chowk by May-end. Now, the civic body claims that it will open the bypass only after the monsoon as the work for the stretch is under progress, said KDMC commissioner E Ravendiran.
The alternative route will ease traffic in Kalyan (West) area. During heavy rain, the entire stretch of the Patri bridge-Shivaji Chowk-Durgadi bridge witnesses traffic snarls and waterlogging. The bypass, which connects Dombivli-Kalyan and Thane city, will divert heavy vehicles, decongesting the stretch.
“We have decided to open it after the monsoon as rain will boost compaction (densification) of the road,” added Ravendiran.
The project had been facing hurdles since it started in 2011. One of the major bottlenecks was a cow shed on the 1.6-km long stretch. The shed owner, reluctant to hand over his property, had approached the court. However, the project got a push in January, when the KDMC commissioner managed to convince the owner with proper compensation.
On January 1, four cow sheds and other structures were demolished to make way for the bypass. Following the tearing down, the KDMC set a May-end deadline for the completion of the work.
This was not the first deadline, as since 2011, the civic body had failed to honour the several Mayend targets.
The project was started by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) in 2011; however, the cow shed issue hampered the work.
The work for the pending 200 metres of the 1.6-km stretch is underway.
“During monsoon, it is very difficult to take the usual Shivaji Chowk stretch as sometimes I get stuck in traffic for an hour. The roundabout cannot handle the increasing number of vehicles anymore. The bypass should have been opened at least before this monsoon make the journey hassle-free,” said Manish Tripathi, 33, who drives through Shivaji Chowk daily to reach his workplace in Thane.
The bypass starts from the Patri bridge and leads to the Durgadi bridge in Kalyan (West). Vehicles at Shivaji Chowk, which is dotted with commercial and residential structures, will be diverted from this bypass.
Once the project is completed, heavy vehicles at the Patri to Durgadi bridges will be diverted. It will also allow commuters to directly connect to the Durgadi bridge without taking the Shivaji Chowk route.
“We have at least two to three policemen deployed at Shivaji Chowk during peak hours; however, it does not curb the regular traffic jams,” said a traffic police, who did not wish to be named.