Sion flyover repairs begin on Feb 14: Brace for traffic snarls on EEH

Flyover will be shut from 10pm-6am for four days a week till April 6

In the first eight weeks, we will replace the bearings, after which we will replace the expansion joints and concretise the stretch. SHASHIKANT SONTAKKE, chief engineer, MSRDC

MUMBAI: Starting February 14, brace for traffic snarls on the eastern express highway (EEH), as the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) begins its repairs of the Sion flyover. Till April 6, the flyover will be closed from 10pm to 6am for four days a week (Thursday night to Monday morning), following which it will be shut for 20 days at a stretch.

In 2017, the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) had conducted a structural audit of the bridge, which stated the flyover required remedial measures for its badly damaged bearings and expansion joints. In March 2019, a concrete plate of the flyover collapsed, after which heavy vehicles were banned on it.

Shashikant Sontakke, chief engineer, MSRDC, said, “In the first eight weeks, we will replace the bearings, after which we will replace the expansion joints and concretise the stretch.” The bearings help control movement between the piers and girders of the bridge.

The MSRDC undertook construction of the flyover in 1999 at a cost of ₹31 crore. It is an important connector between the island city and eastern suburbs. The repairs have been delayed by three years owing to various issues, including designs for bearings and permissions from the traffic police.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has already undertaken works to improve the Chheda Nagar junction, Andheri-ghatkopar link road and Metro-4 (Wadala-kasarwadavali), which will add to the traffic woes.