The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) opened a new arm flyover in Vashi on Thursday, April 2, to improve city traffic. The flyover connects Palm Beach Road directly to the Sion-Panvel Highway. The project was inaugurated by Ganesh Naik in the presence of Mayor Sujata Patil at Sector 17.
The flyover is 290 metres long and 6.5 metres wide. It was built at a cost of INR 18.32 crore. It creates a direct route for vehicles travelling from Palm Beach Road to the Sion-Panvel Highway. This route is used by traffic heading towards Pune.
Officials said the new flyover will reduce travel time and ease traffic at key junctions near Vashi. During inauguration, Vaibhav Thakur, a motorcyclist with a disability, took the first ride on the flyover. The civic body also recognised the engineers and teams involved in the project.
Earlier, drivers had to take longer routes through Sanpada. This added around 10 to 15 minutes to travel time. During peak hours, the delay could reach nearly 20 minutes. But traffic in the opposite direction faced difficulties. Drivers had to pass through busy internal roads.
Commuters from Vashi, Kopar Khairane, and Turbhe often used the APMC–Mafco stretch via Sanpada or the Shivaji Maharaj Chowk–Abhyudaya Bank junction. Vehicles coming from Belapur were diverted through the Vashi railway station road. These routes increased congestion and fuel use.
The original plan included a box culvert. This was later dropped after concerns that it could block tidal creek flow and harm marine ecosystems. The design was then changed. The project also faced delays due to technical and environmental issues.
Share
Tweet
