Commuters are in for more traffic snarls this summer as the Sion flyover will be shut from April 20 for around two months. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) on Friday announced the closure owing to repair works.
Since Friday, the movement of heavy vehicles was suspended on Sion flyover after a 10x15 square metre concrete plate fell down on Thursday night. A statement issued by the MSRDC on Friday stated that the structure of the flyover was unaffected and there were no injuries due to the same. “We haven’t stopped the movement of light vehicles since there was no damage to the structure,” an official said.
The repair works include replacing 170 bearings of the 1.1-km-long flyover. The MSRDC has appointed a contractor for the repairs, which is expected to cost ₹6 crore. These repairs were planned for several months but delayed due to the traffic police’s concern about traffic management in the city.
“The closure of the Delisle Bridge has put a lot of strain on areas of Lower Parel and Mahalaxmi and several motorists are using central suburbs to go to south Mumbai. With the closure of the Sion flyover, it will pose a huge traffic challenge,” a senior official said.
The flyover goes over a key Sion junction, which motorists from eastern and central suburbs, Navi Mumbai and Thane use to travel to south Mumbai and western suburbs.
The Mumbai traffic police is planning diversions to mitigate the impact of the closure and will finalise a plan in the coming week.
