Sion flyover to be shut for repairs

MUMBAI: Motorists taking the Eastern Express Highway (EEH), brace for more traffic snarls, as Sion flyover on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marg is likely to be shut for repairs after Diwali.

The overhaul of this crucial link between the suburbs and south Mumbai is being undertaken by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). The repair work of the ₹31-crore flyover, built in 2000, will cost ₹2 crore. It will include replacement of the flyover bearings and expansion joints. The bearings help control movement between piers and girders.

The repair works were to be undertaken in April initially, and the bridge was supposed to be initiated from October-end, which did not happen.

A senior civic official said the delay was caused by the monsoon and festivals, when the crucial stretch could not be shut for a long time. “Now, we have finalised the contractor and the working designs for the bearings are ready. We already had a

meeting with the traffic police. We will approach the traffic department for approval soon.”

When the flyover will be shut for three to four months, motorists will have to use the road below it. The overhaul comes after a study by the Civil Engineering department, IIT, reported that the flyover required remedial measures for its badly damaged bearings and expansion joints, said officials.