BMC begins work on Kandivali Lokhandwala to Goregaon East connectivity

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) began the first phase of the Kandivali Lokhandwala to Goregaon East connectivity project on Monday by widening a 500-metre road in Malad East’s P Northward. This 2.1-kilometer road aims to connect Kandivali Lokhandwala to the Western Express Highway in Goregaon East and is a further link to GMLR for connectivity to the eastern suburbs, categorised as a ‘Vital project.’

Kiran Dighavkar, Assistant Commissioner of the P North ward, “This is an important project by BMC that will bring major relief to the commuters. Currently, around 500 metres of bottleneck is cleared. This will be an altogether new connectivity. From Kandivali, you can go to GMLR and go towards Mulund or join the Western Express highway.”

BMC officials said the new connectivity will have bridges and concretised roads which will be 120 feet wide. The officials also noted that the project would affect a total of 1376 structures, with 71 in the forest range and the rest on BMC land. Approximately 860 metres of the road traverse through the forest.

During a demolition on Monday, the P North team razed 168 structures to widen an existing 30-feet road to 120 feet in Malad East. Among these, 107 structures were eligible for rehabilitation. “Of these 107 structures, 85 were residential and 22 were commercial structures. We have rehabilitated 800-900 people in the nearby Malad East and Goregaon East,” said Dighavkar.

The road will serve as an alternative route for Kandivali residents, connecting Lokhandwala Township to Malad Reservoir and Goregaon East. The demolition involved over 50 BMC workers utilizing two poclain, two JCBs, and four dumpers with assistance from BMC engineers.