Mumbai: Mumbaikars travelling via Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) – the primary connector of the eastern and western suburbs- experienced traffic congestion along the entire stretch on Monday.
Traffic authorities said this is a usual issue at the start of the week, but asserted that the ongoing construction work of Metro stations is the main reason for traffic jams in the area.
“There are four Metro stations coming up at JVLR and the construction work is ongoing. Hence there are barricades on roads that make them narrower, causing traffic congestion and slow movement,” police inspector Uttam Suryavanshi of Powai traffic division said.
According to Mr Suryavanshi, the basic pillar work of these metro stations will be completed in the next 15-20 days, after which the barricades will be removed, thus freeing up space for the movement of vehicles.
Meanwhile, motorists say JVLR is currently one of the worst routes to travel, alleging that at times it takes them at least an hour and a half to travel from one spot to another.
“JVLR is an important route, especially for people who want to travel from the central to western suburbs. There is no alternative road route. But it becomes extremely difficult as there is traffic throughout the day, with no assistance from the authorities,” said Rajvi Sen.
According to another commuter, the roads are in bad shape and there is no traffic management by the authorities. “We get stuck here burning fuel, wasting time and energy, and end up not reaching anywhere on time.”
The traffic jam on Monday stretched from Ghatkopar to Vikhroli to MIDC, all the way to Powai, where the IIT-Powai and L&T Flyover areas saw the worst snarls. Since JVLR connects to the Western Express Highway (WEH), the backlog of traffic was carried forward, impacting movement on the WEH as well.
