If you are tired of getting stuck in traffic between Ghatkopar and Kurla, there’s some long-awaited news for you. The Vidyavihar Road Over Bridge (ROB), stuck in delays since 2016, is now expected to be ready by April next year.
This bridge is meant to connect Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg with Ramkrishna Chemburkar Marg, giving Mumbaikars a smoother east-west route without having to take the long way around.
Why the wait?
The project has been through plenty of hurdles, utility lines had to be moved, illegal structures removed, trees transplanted, and even ticket counters on both sides of the tracks had to be shifted. Add the pandemic and a shortage of steel, and the delays just kept piling up.
The BMC had originally set the completion deadline for December 2024. That has now been pushed to April 2026, but the good news is, work is finally moving again.
What it means for commuters
Right now, if you want to cross the tracks from the eastern suburbs, your only real options are Ghatkopar or Kurla, and those routes get seriously jammed during rush hour.
One commuter pointed out that just the 1 km stretch from Cama Lane in Ghatkopar West to Kirol Road signal can take up to 10 minutes during peak time. Imagine saving that much time daily once the bridge is open.
Once the Vidyavihar ROB, along with other bridges in Ghatkopar, Vikhroli and Bhandup are completed, traffic pressure on these busy corridors should ease up quite a bit.
So, while we still have to wait, this long-delayed bridge could finally bring some breathing room for thousands of daily travellers across the eastern suburbs.
