Noise barriers on 12km of flyovers and rail-over bridge in Mumbai

Encouraged by the success of its pilot project which resulted in considerable reduction in noise levels along a 1-km stretch in Kalanagar after the installation of noise barriers, officials of the urban planning body have decided to expand it to other parts of the city.

Soon, over 12km of flyovers will have similar sound barriers.
In the first phase, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will install sound barriers on flyovers at Sion Hospital junction, Hindamata junction, Thakur Complex, Malad junction, Santa Cruz airport junction, Navaghar junction and Dindoshi junction.

The rail-over bridge (RoB) at Dahisar, which has been opened to the traffic recently, will also be provided with noise barriers to arrest the rising decibel levels due to traffic movement.

The second phase of the project will see the installation of noise barriers on flyovers at King’s Circle-Tulpule Chowk, Lalbaug junction, Barfiwalla junction and Suman Nagar junction which are under construction and nearing completion soon.

The Milan rail-over bridge and the Sahar elevated road will also have noise barriers as they too are scheduled to be completed in 2011.

The combined length of the 11 flyovers, two ROBs and Sahar elevated road is 12,750 meters. The authority will undertake a noise mapping study of all the flyovers, ROBs and Sahar elevated road, and install noise barriers on stretches depending on the necessity outlined by the study.

According to joint metropolitan commissioner Ashwini Bhide, the decision comes in the wake of successful installation of such noise barriers at the Bandra-Kurla Complex. “The area is now comforted by acceptable decibel levels of 50-55 during the day, and well below 45dB during the night,” said Bhide in a written statement.

The authority has initially earmarked Rs10 crore for installing these noise barriers, he said.