Mumbai's Vidyavihar Flyover Nears Opening, Approach Road Cost Rises ₹10.62 Crore To ₹106.18 Crore

Mumbai: The much-awaited Vidyavihar Connector is expected to open to traffic shortly. However, the cost of its approach road has increased by Rs 10.62 crore, taking the revised project cost from Rs 95.55 crore to Rs 106.18 crore. The proposal seeking approval for the additional expenditure will be placed before the BMC's standing committee on Wednesday.

Road alignment revised to avoid displacement

The BMC awarded the contract for constructing the approach road to the Vidyavihar Flyover to M/s A. B. Infrabuild Limited in February 2024. However, the proposed 36.50-metre-wide road alignment on the western side was found to be obstructed by existing buildings. According to the BMC proposal, implementing the original alignment would have required the demolition of the affected structures and the relocation of approximately 53 residential tenement holders.

To avoid demolishing the buildings and displacing residents, the civic body subsequently modified the road alignment and incorporated the necessary changes into the original bridge design. These modifications, however, resulted in additional expenditure. The revised variation amount, covering additional and extra items along with other charges, has been estimated at approximately Rs 10.62 crore, according to the BMC's proposal.

Connector to reduce travel time

The Vidyavihar Flyover will connect Ramkrishna Chemburkar Marg in the east with Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg in the west. It will also provide direct pedestrian access to Vidyavihar railway station, improving connectivity for commuters travelling between the eastern and western parts of the suburb. Once operational, the connector is expected to significantly reduce peak-hour travel time between Vidyavihar East and West from the existing 40–45 minutes to around 10–15 minutes.

The improved connectivity is also expected to ease traffic congestion across the Vidyavihar-Ghatkopar-Kurla corridor.

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Flyover specifications and construction delays

Built over the Central Railway tracks, the 613-metre-long, four-lane flyover features a 100-metre railway span. Each girder used in the railway span weighs approximately 1,100 metric tonnes.

First proposed in 1991 and revived in 2016, construction began in 2018, with the flyover originally scheduled for completion by mid-2022. However, delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent design modifications pushed back the completion timeline.

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