Peddar Road flyover raises debate again

The Bandra-Worli Sea Link will create traffic  bottlenecks at Haji Ali. The solution is to have a flyover on Peddar Road, says MSRDC. It will also be a lot more cheaper than the Haji Ali-Nariman Point sea link. DNA asks experts about their view ...

Expert speak
Use the sea route to reach Nariman Point
When the sea link was being build the traffic at Haji Ali was anticipated. The debate over the Peddar road flyover has been going on for a very long time. Residents have objected to the flyover because of technical reasons. The old plan had pillars going through the Chowpatty beach which was unacceptable as it would have damaged the beach.

One needs to find ways and means to solve the road block towards Worli.  As one will notice, that it is the office crowd that will come from the suburbs to Nariman Point. Then why should there be an exit point at Worli? There should be a direct exit point at Nariman Point. This way Worli and Peddar road will not get congested.
—Indrani Malkhani, Founder Trustee, MHRA

Integrated plan required to develop city
We have constructed a world class infrastructure like Bandra-Worli sea link but what is the use of it, if  just entering it takes an hour. There is bottle neck traffic out side the sea bridge. Authority wakes up when the problem arises, rather than foreseeing it beforehand.
Constructing sealinks and flyovers without proper planning will not help much. We need to have a comprehensive plan which will include everything, from railways, water pipeline, sewage system to roads. Otherwise the problems of city will keep aggravating further. I strongly recommend for any visionary comprehensive plan to be made only after looking at the geography and population of Mumbai.
—P K Das, Architect and Housing Activist

The sea link project was not required
The Bandra Worli sea link itself is a mistake; hence its repercussions are obvious mistakes too. I don't think there is a need to go ahead with the Haji Ali to Nariman Point link. Bandra Worli sea link is a project of poor urban planning. And it is a poor urban planning project because it is detrimental to the well being of the citizens. Such projects which that obstruct the mouth of a river causing floods, do not solve the traffic problems, but add to them. They further cause pollution in the hitherto unpolluted areas, depriving the entire population from their right to get the unrestricted view of the sunset, destroy beaches and waterfronts. This scam to funnel off the tax payer's money should never have been allowed.
—Chandrashekhar Prabhu, Urban planner

Efficient and strict traffic management required
There was an Eastern Freeway, as well as Central Freeway also planned, by the Central Road Research Institute over twenty five years ago, extended from Versova to Nariman Point. The Bandra Worli Sealink is just one section of the overall project. Now the entire scheme should be implemented, simultaneously, on a war footing in five years. It will be of no use in bits and pieces over next ten or fifteen years like this first phase took.

In view of this, no flyover on Dr G Deshmukh Marg / Peddar Road is needed or any other further construction on Worli Sea Face or at Haji Ali.

Such constructions simply add to the existing chaos,
better to live with it, rather than end up with more problems afterwards.

What is needed is efficient and strict traffic management, considering even making Peddar road, South bound and Warden road North bound one way.

The Worli to Haji Ali and Haji Ali to Nariman Point link is a part of the Western Freeway, should be done but fast and only opened to public after the entire sea link from Versova to Nariman Point is completed.

All infrastructure projects not only have to be considered after taking the confidence of the public, but need to be integrated and coordinated with the existing system not only on paper, but the interfaces made operational well before the new projects are inaugurated. 
—Jagdeep Desai, Architect

On record
Kumar Munot
“There was always a need for the Peddar road flyover but it keeps getting stalled. Earlier the residents were against it and then there were some environmental concerns. Most of the projects in Mumbai keep being delayed unnecessarily. If the response to the Bandra Worli sea link is good, then during peak hours there might be major traffic snarls at Worli and the authorities need to get some solution for it.”

Jaineet Kaur
“I think it's high time that the Peddar road flyover is built. And especially now that the sea link is operational, Worli would be highly congested. And there would be major road blocks at Peddar road. But the traffic management in the mean time has to be smart enough to direct the traffic. The Babulnath area is  highly congested and now I fear it would become worse.” 

Nishir Gordhandas
“We often talk about making Mumbai in to a developed city like Shanghai but our projects go on forever. Some residents at Peddar road have opposed the flyover but larger good cannot be ignored. I think the proposed Haji Ali to Nariman Point link might take 20 years to complete, so might as well construct the flyover which would lessen the traffic problems and might be completed faster.”