The Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a tender in February for the construction of a 5.6 km raised roadway that would link the Eastern Freeway with Grant Road. Commuters traveling from locations in South Mumbai like Grant Road, Nana Chowk, and Tardeo to the eastern suburbs currently experience travel times of 30-50 minutes during peak hours. The proposed new elevated road could significantly shorten this travel to just 6-7 minutes. Despite a span of seven months, there has been no interest shown in taking on the project.
Spanning 17 kilometres, the Eastern Freeway connects the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) in the eastern suburbs to PD Mello Road in South Mumbai. However, there is no elevated roadway at the terminus of the Freeway. This results in substantial congestion due to the higher volume of vehicles originating from the suburbs. Consequently, the journey towards the western segment of the island city takes nearly 50 minutes. Municipal authorities have clarified that the proposed new flyover will bridge the gap between the western portion of South Mumbai and the Freeway.
The estimated budget for the undertaking stands at approximately Rs 6.62 billion, and the completion timeline is projected at 42 months, inclusive of the monsoon period.
Over the past seven months, the municipal administration has repeatedly extended the deadline for the submission of tenders.