Indian Express    04.09.2010

Curry Road bridge revamp: CR seeks Deora help for BMC nod

Tags : railways, corporation Posted: Sat Sep 04 2010, 04:54 hrs

 The Central Railway (CR) on Friday requested South Mumbai MP Milind Deora to help it get clearances from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for razing and rebuilding the Curry Road bridge.

The bridge has to be rebuilt as the suburban railway will soon start work on traction conversion from Direct Current (DC) to Alternate Current (AC).

CR officials told Deora, who visited various Central Railway stations between Parel and Byculla on Friday morning, that the railway administration was waiting for the BMC nod. Under the new plan, a new Road Over Bridge (ROB) would be built, offering more space for pedestrians. The CR had in March 2009 sent a proposal with General Agreement Drawings (GAD) for the ROB. The BMC suggested some changes. In April 2010, a revised GAD was sent. “We are awaiting a response from them in spite of several reminders,” said a senior CR official. “It doesn’t end at the BMC. We also need to take permission from the traffic police before anything is started.”

Under Phase II of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), the railways would raze four ROBs between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Kurla.

“He (Deora) assured us he will take up the matter with respective agencies,” said the CR official. “We will look into the railways’ demand and co-operate with them if it is in the interest of the public at large,” said Aseem Gupta, Additional Municipal Commissioner.

CR officials also raised the issue of a skywalk at Parel, proposed and then cancelled by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The skywalk was to connect Elphinstone Road and Parel stations. After flak from various quarters, the MMRDA scrapped 15 skywalks, including the one proposed at Parel station. 

“The existing foot overbridge is the only one that connects these stations. The MMRDA had initially informed us about the proposed skywalk, but scrapped the proposal without asking us,” said a CR official.

The Times of India 03.09.2010

CHANDIGARH: Traffic woes in the Tricity and adjoining areas would hopefully be a thing of the past with construction of bypasses for vehicular movement in and out of Chandigarh and subways for pedestrians. Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority would soon be constituted based on the Ministry of urban development's recommendation.

The introduction of mass rapid transit system, a prerequisite for the Metro Rail project, would be one of the key issues that would be tackled by the Authority.

In its report to UT, RITES had also suggested that an agency in the form of a Regional & Urban Transport Development Board ( RUTDB) be formed on the lines of NCR Planning Board under Government of India. The respective state governments and Centre Government agencies concerned - Railways and NHAI - might be its members. This Board could coordinate the planning and implementation of transport proposals within the region as well as the urban complex and resolve any inter-state transport problems. This was on the basis of a traffic study that covered the transportation problems of Chandigarh Urban Complex comprising Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. The impact of traffic from neighbouring towns was also taken into consideration. The extended study region consisted of Zirakpur, Kharar, Dera Bassi in Punjab, Alipur-Kot Behla Complex, Kalka-Pinjore Complex in Haryana and Parwanoo and Baddi in Himachal Pradesh.