Mumbai's 59-Minute Dream Gets Boost From New Road Projects

Mumbai, October 22: Maharashtra's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said that the rapid expansion of infrastructure in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region under the BMC will bring the state closer to its goal of a '59 Minute Mumbai.'

He stressed that the continuing multi-modal connectivity works would not only bring faster travel but also make everyday life easier for citizens.

The Chief Minister launched three major infrastructure projects through a virtual event. They include a railway overbridge at Vidyavihar railway station, located in the northern ward, which joins LBS Marg and Ramchandra Chemburkar Marg. The list also covers the rebuilt Sion railway overbridge and a flyover built under the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road project, which runs from Ratnagiri Hotel Junction to Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari in Goregaon East.

Fadnavis observed that the city is actively building seamless north-south and east-west corridors. In his view, all three flyovers, which hold strategic value, will make commuting smoother for Mumbaikars.

The Vidyavihar flyover, which links RC Marg in the east to LBS Marg in the west, reduces the travel time on this route from 30 minutes to just 10 minutes. It will also help ease congestion on the heavily trafficked flyover near Ghatkopar station.

The GMLR flyover from Goregaon has been designed to ease traffic at Ratnagiri Hotel Junction and nearby intersections. It is central to better east-west linkage and ensures access to two proposed underground tunnels beneath Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

The 112-year-old Sion rail bridge had become unsafe. Its reconstruction has restored a significant part of east-west connectivity and created room for the fifth and sixth lines of Central Railway. Once these lines are operational, they could allow more local trains and higher frequency.

According to Fadnavis, the new Sion bridge serves as a key connection between Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Road and the Eastern Express Highway, and western areas such as Dharavi, Bandra and the Bandra-Kurla Complex.

Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar appreciated the strong coordination between the BMC, the state government and the central government, which allowed these vital projects to be finished without delay. She congratulated the urban administration, engineers, contractors and workers for completing the work on time.