The proposed flyover on Peddar Road, which ran into a roadblock following protests from residents of the locality and opposition from the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority, is now awaiting fresh environmental clearance. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has redesigned one of its sections and resubmitted the design, which will now not require any construction on the Girgaum Chowpatty beach.

Last July, a committee had rejected the design with a portion of the flyover juts seven metres into the beach area, with two pillars to be erected on the sandy stretch of the Girgaum Chowpatty. In 2006 too, the MCZMA — the state agency that oversees all construction activities along the coast — had rejected permission to construct the flyover on similar grounds.

“We have reworked the design on the Chowpatty portion, and also replaced the proposed pillars on the beach for quick clearance to the proposal. The MCZMA would now take up the matter with the Ministry of Environment and Forests,” Satish Gavai, vice-chairman and managing director of MSRDC told Newsline. The pillars will now be constructed on the road, thus making the curve sharper. Gavai said the flyover would be a four lane car-deck, on which heavy vehicles would not be allowed.

Earlier, MSRDC officials had unsuccessfully tried to convince the MCZMA committee to allow the design with pillars on the beach arguing that a sharper turn would bring down the speed of traffic. “Traffic speed will reduce considerably, but we will have to live with that,” Gavai said.

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