Passengers grope in dark as the bridge has no street lights and signage

The travails of commuters negotiating a recently built bridge that connects Saki Naka to the airport’s international terminal remain unabated. Passengers, taxi unions and transport activists are experiencing bumpy rides with no street lights and proper signage on this four-month-old bridge.

The 60-metre-wide Broadway, which reduces travel time for commuters from the eastern suburbs by 45 minutes to an hour, cost the BMC Rs 8 crore. It connects the two vital areas of suburban Mumbai – Sakinaka and the airport over the Mithi River.

 

Rs 21.68 crore was spent to built the bridge. However, the Safed Pul and Lathia Rubber Road, which cost Rs 14 crore, has not opened for traffic yet.

 

The Mumbai Transport Forum lamented, a majority of international air passengers continue to take the older route around Marol junction due to this, which increases the distance by 5 kilometres and takes an hour longer.

AL Quadros, president, Mumbai Taximens Union, said 90 per cent of cabs still take the route that passes through the Mittal Industrial Estate, Marol Junction, the Leela and the Ambassador hotels.

“Now, though one can reach the airport directly from the Sakinaka junction in just 3 minutes, the lack of proper signage has defeated its purpose,” said Quadros. “This will become even more important once the Metro starts functioning, following which traffic will increase manifold.”

Approximately half-a-km long, the two roads have been broadened to 60 metres from the earlier 20 metres. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority had in 2009 first decided to widen these roads and build bridges across the river. However, due to various reasons MMRDA transferred the task to the BMC in December 2009.