The Sion road over bridge (ROB) is all set to be closed starting Wednesday. According to traffic police officials, all vehicles will be diverted elsewhere from Wednesday early morning. The crucial Sion RoB connects the eastern and the western suburbs. It is expected that a huge bunch of motorists, who are heavily dependent on the RoB, will face troubles due to the closure.
Action plans to help the motorists with diversion, for the same, multiple boards of ‘where to divert’ have been installed feet away from the bridge – at the entry and exit points, officials from Mumbai Traffic Police said.
The three main diversion routes the motorists can opt for instead of Sion RoB to reach their destinations are Santacruz-Chembur Link Road via Kurla, which joins the Eastern Express Highway; Sion Hospital Road via the Sulochana Shetty Marg, which connects to Dr BA Road to Kumbharwada in Dharavi and Chunabhatti-Bandra Kurla Complex Connector (no two-wheelers and three-wheelers allowed).
“From our division, we have 50 wardens who will hit the ground, along with the traffic personnel to keep clearing the traffic and to make sure there are no disruptions. This plan of action will remain for the first 10 days, and accordingly, as things move, and whether or not things are manageable, we will change the course,” said an official from Matunga traffic division.
50 traffic wardens to be deployed
Other divisions including Mahim, Chunabhatti, BKC, Chembur, Dharavi, etc, will be deploying a maximum of 50 traffic wardens, at their respective jurisdiction limits. The Dr BA Road, which connects Sion to Dharavi and further, will be receiving heavy load due to the closure of the RoB.
“Even though Dr BA Road is wide enough to hold heavy traffic rush, we don’t want to risk it, hence the entire stretch has been made a no-parking zone, strictly. At places where the road has residential houses and properties, we have asked them to cooperate, at least during the starting phase,” added the official.
Further towards Dharavi, at the continuation of Sulochana Shetty Marg, the roads are comparatively narrow hence its entire load of traffic cannot be squeezed. “It also has encroachment, multiple residential buildings, and parking spots, that can block traffic movement. Hence, we have made that into a no-parking zone as well. If somebody is found flouting the norms, they will be penalised,” said traffic police.
Issues are expected at SCLR, where the traffic will be diverted from Sion, towards the central suburbs via the Eastern Express Highway.
