Mumbai: BMC To Axe 316 Trees To Build Service Road Beneath Eastern Freeway In SoBo

Mumbai: The BMC has proposed to hack 316 trees and transplant 66 others to pave way for a new service road beneath the Eastern Freeway flyover in south Mumbai. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 62 crore, while the civic body had also appointed a project management consultant for mapping the alignment of the roads. The width of the existing road is inadequate, so the civic authorities have decided to improve it.

Currently, there is a main road beneath the Freeway that extends between Daya Shankar Marg and Bombay Port Trust. The upcoming 4-km-long service road will run parallel to the path. The existing road was earlier maintained by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority. It was handed over to the BMC after the Freeway was opened.

The civic body has now issued a notification for the felling of trees for the project so that the citizens can send their suggestions and objections about it to the municipal corporation. “The width of the existing road is 40 metres, which should be 60 metres. As per development plan 2034, there is a provision to construct a 10-metre wide service road alongside any main road. Since the existing road is narrow, emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire engines face inconvenience, while passing along this route. The new road will be constructed just beneath the flyover and will run parallel to the Freeway,” said a civic official.