On October 4, the Traffic Department had circulated regulations for vehicle movement that were to be enforced from Monday. However, work came to a standstill when the BMC failed to remove the tree near the Grant Medical College -- the spot from where construction is supposed to begin -- and the BEST dilly-dallied with the shifting of the poles.

Additional commissioner of police (traffic) SPS Yadav said his department had cleared the project and talks were on with the BMC and the BEST for removal of the obstacles. ``They have to be removed to get the width needed for vehicular and pedestrian movement,'' he said.

However, executive engineer of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation P D Dandavate, who is in charge of the project said there was no problem and the constructionhad been delayed due to the presence of potholes on P D'Mello Road and E S Patanwalla Marg, two of the major roads which will be used for the traffic diversion. ``It will hardly take four to five days for the matter to be sorted. Work has been delayed because of the monsoon and the Navratri celebrations,'' he said. BMC and BEST officials said the matter would be sorted out in a few days.

The JJ flyover will be the first to be constructed on the Central corridor of the city that extends from Mohammedali Road to Ambedkar Road. It will take up 15 metres and 9 feet of JJ Marg in the South direction and 9 metres in the North direction. This will leave only six metres for traffic movement on both sides, excluding approximately one-and-a-half metre for the footpaths. According to traffic authorities, six metres would roughly accommodate only one BEST bus and two taxis.

The flyover will be constructed in five phases.