Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has given its in-principle approval to demolish the seven-year-old Veer Savarkar flyover in Goregaon to facilitate the construction of a double-decker bridge under the Mumbai Coastal Road (North) project. The new structure will connect the Malad-Mindspace stretch with Dindoshi as part of the Coastal Road 2 corridor, linking Versova and Dahisar.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar confirmed the decision, stating that the final approval from the municipal commissioner is awaited. Once cleared, the proposed double-decker bridge, supported on a single pier, will serve as both a connector to the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road and a route for local traffic.
The Savarkar flyover, built in 2017 at a cost of ₹27 crore, runs from Radisson Hotel to Rustomjee Ozone. Bangar explained that multiple options were studied before concluding that a double-decker bridge would be the most efficient solution for addressing traffic needs.
While piling work for the connector has already begun at Dindoshi, the demolition may not take place immediately due to the ongoing monsoon season.
However, the proposal has sparked concern among residents and commuters, who fear severe traffic disruptions. Many also recall the 2022 Gokhale-Barfiwala “misaligned flyovers” fiasco and worry about a repeat.
Former Goregaon corporator Deepak Thakur warned that demolishing the flyover, which currently handles heavy east-west traffic, could worsen congestion on the already burdened Western Express Highway. Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh from Malad also voiced opposition, pointing out that both Goregaon and Malad would face severe traffic snarls once demolition begins.
Critics further questioned the need to dismantle a relatively new flyover, stressing that long-term planning should have accounted for such projects.
(Source: TOI)
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