Traffic congestion along Mumbai’s Western Express Highway (WEH) near Kandivali is anticipated to persist until August due to ongoing construction delays.
Work on expanding the Akurli Underpass in Kandivali East, which commenced in 2019, came to a halt a year ago in June 2023 due to the discovery of a gas pipeline at the piling site.
According to Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) officials, Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) took six months—instead of the initially projected 40 days—to relocate the gas pipeline, as reported by Medium.
The incomplete widening of the underpass has led to significant traffic congestion on the northbound lanes of WEH since last year. To alleviate congestion, Mumbai traffic police opened one lane on the opposite side of the highway for northbound traffic.
However, with the relocation of the gas pipeline now completed, officials anticipate the project’s conclusion by August 2024. Upon completion, the width of the Akurli underpass will increase from 16 meters to 33 meters, providing relief from traffic jams for commuters on WEH.