Safety audit to precede phased opening of Mira-Bhayander flyover by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority; one lane each way initially

Mumbai: The Mira-Bhayander flyover, part of Metro Line 9, will undergo a mandatory third-party road safety audit before opening to traffic, after which Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) plans to operationalise it in phases with only one lane in each direction beyond Golden Nest Circle, officials said.The arrangement will remain in place till the required Development Plan (DP) land is handed over by the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) for widening of the ramp section.
The flyover forms a key component of the Dahisar East-Mira Bhayander Metro Line 9 double-decker corridor carrying both metro and road traffic. According to MMRDA, the structure has been constructed as per Indian Road Congress (IRC) standards and approvals granted during 2020-21, and the lane configuration was part of the original sanctioned design.Up to Golden Nest Circle — one of the busiest junctions in the Mira-Bhayander belt — the flyover will function with a full 2+2 lane configuration to ease congestion at the junction. Beyond the circle, however, limited right-of-way, railway proximity and pending DP land acquisition restrict ramp width, and the approved plan provides a 1+1 lane arrangement in that stretch. Officials said the phased opening is an interim traffic arrangement aligned with site constraints until MBMC hands over additional land.The project had sparked controversy after motorists pointed out that the double-decker flyover appeared to suddenly narrow into two lanes, raising fears of a bottleneck. Authorities clarified that the narrowing is temporary and consistent with the sanctioned design.MMRDA has made third-party road safety assessment compulsory for its road projects over and above IRC compliance norms, and the flyover will open only after implementation of recommendations made in the audit.Traffic engineering provisions include merging transition zones, lane delineators, crash barriers, height restriction for heavy vehicles, reflective signage and rumble strips, all to be executed at the contractor's cost.The design also includes a proposed 970-metre elevated arm crossing the Western Railway line towards Bhayander West, which will be taken up once land becomes available. Once fully completed, the flyover is expected to ease congestion along Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Road and improve connectivity between Mira Road and Bhayander, officials said.