This story is from July 5, 2016

Tussle brews over Andheri-Dahisar metro alignment

With the path cleared for the construction of the elevated Andheri (E)-Dahisar (E) Metro VII along Western Express Highway, fears of traffic snarls seem to have triggered a difference of opinion among two government agencies over the final alignment of the pillars.
Tussle brews over Andheri-Dahisar metro alignment
Representative image.
Mumbai: With the path cleared for the construction of the elevated Andheri (E)-Dahisar (E) Metro VII along Western Express Highway, fears of traffic snarls seem to have triggered a difference of opinion among two government agencies over the final alignment of the pillars that will support the tracks. Three companies have won tenders to construct the 16.5-km line and soil testing is on.
Construction of the project, scheduled to be over by 2019, is expected to begin after the rain stops.
The PWD, which maintains WEH, fears long traffic jams along the north-bound lanes during peak hours once work begins and has requested MMRDA to tweak the alignment. The barricades for construction may block one of the four WEH lanes as the pillars are scheduled to come up on the median between the main carriageway and the service road. Moreover, pillars on the pavement could damage and obstruct the storm water drains below, said officials.
The department has offered to shift the storm water drain to the western edge of the service road so that the pillars can be moved a bit towards the service road to avoid the barricading from spilling over to the WEH.
MMRDA spokesperson Dilip Kawathkar ruled out any traffic problem, saying the contractors had been instructed to ensure no obstruction to existing traffic. “Besides, the MMRDA’s metro authorities and the traffic police will monitor the situation daily. There is no question of shifting the alignment as all care is being taken to avoid any disturbance to underground utilities. The alignment was finalized after minute surveys. The barricading and machinery will not spill over to the north-bound traffic lanes. But MMRDA will positively consider the suggestions of all agencies and residents to ensure smooth construction,” he said.
PWD officials claimed shifting the drain would mean more space between the service road and the WEH to facilitate easy movement of men and machinery. MMRDA officials promised to look into the suggestion but seemed cagey about a change. They said consultant Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had suggested the alignment after thorough surveys and it had been approved and tendered by the MMRDA apex body.
The Metro VII corridor is expected to be completed before the five other corridors as authorities expect fewer complications like land acquisition, relief and rehabilitation of project-affect people, etc. PM Narendra Modi had performed bhoomipujan for the line, alongside that of the Dahisar (W)-D N Nagar stretch of Metro II, last November.
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