New plan to decongest Haji Ali junction

While a U-turn had earlier been introduced without any success,the car deck plan is also not new and was first proposed by the traffic police. The suggestions have been put forward by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-appointed software firm Medulla-Soft that carried out a 3D virtual simulation of the junction.

A virtual simulation includes micro simulation analysis where results are very close to real-time behaviour. The queue lengths and timings in real time are taken into consideration while carrying out virtual experiments.

The firm then proposed a car deck a few metres after the Haji Ali Juice Centre that will go over the Cadbury Junction and end on the Bhulabhai Desai road; another car deck from the Tardeo Road ending on the Lala Lajpatrai Marg going towards Worli; and a U-turn at 700 metres on the Lala Lajpatrai Marg for motorists coming from the south and going towards Tardeo Road and Keshvrao Khadye Marg.

Earlier,a U-turn was made at 500 metres on the same road,but had led to pile-up and the idea was scrapped.

The consultants will present their latest plan to the BMC and the traffic police for suggestions,objections and approval later this week.

In May this year,the consultants had proposed a signalised roundabout at the junction and a car deck starting from the Haji Ali Juice Centre,looping over the sea; its one arm landing on the Racecourse Road and the other towards Tardeo.

Car decks are small flyovers,made of metal rather than concrete and are one-way with a single lane.

However,both ideas were scrapped by the BMC and the traffic police. An official from the firm said Joint Commissioner of Traffic Sanjay Barve had said building a roundabout was not feasible,while the BMC had said a car deck looping over the sea will face hurdles in getting environmental sanctions. Following this,the BMC asked the consultants to come up with another suggestion.