Navi Mumbai: The arterial Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai could see the construction of flyovers at key junctions to ease persistent traffic congestion, with Navi Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Dr Kailash Shinde agreeing to explore the proposal for creating signal-free movement for through traffic. The proposal was discussed during a meeting between Dr Shinde and representatives of Climate Action Now (CAN) for MMR, a platform of NatConnect Foundation, and Palm Beach Greens on Friday evening. The initiative follows representations made by the BJP legislator Adv Niranjan Davkhare and CAN seeking measures to address growing traffic snarls on the important north-south corridor. NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar and Palm Beach Greens convenor D Shrikant Patki explained that strategically placed flyovers could allow through traffic to bypass several signals, reducing waiting time at intersections and preventing the cascading build-up of vehicles along the corridor. Dr Shinde, while acknowledging the representations from Davkhare and CAN by NatConnect, assured the delegation that he would definitely explore the flyover option. NMMC is already in touch with IIT-Bombay on the Palm Beach Road traffic issue and may also seek its inputs on the proposal. Kumar and Patki had earlier met Davkhare, who represents the Konkan Graduates’ constituency spread across Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Thane and Palghar districts, to discuss various environmental issues. Davkhare subsequently took up the Palm Beach Road traffic issue with the NMMC Commissioner. The road carries substantial inter-city traffic, with thousands of vehicles heading towards Pune, Alibaug and Goa using Palm Beach Road after diverting from the Sion-Panvel Highway at Vashi. Such traffic adds considerably to the pressure on the corridor, particularly because vehicles have to negotiate multiple signals along the route. The environmental groups proposed a system in which through traffic could move without stopping at major junctions while local traffic continues to use the existing road network. They said such an arrangement could reduce congestion, fuel wastage and vehicular emissions besides improving travel time and road safety. Kumar pointed to worsening congestion on Palm Beach Road and identified Moraj Junction between Vashi and Nerul as a major bottleneck. The representation also highlighted traffic problems at Nerul, T S Chanakya, Akshar and NRI Seawoods junctions. According to the representation, the Moraj Junction bottleneck results in long delays, fuel wastage and inconvenience to thousands of daily commuters. It proposed straight flyovers carrying through traffic in both northbound and southbound directions, enabling vehicles to bypass signals and junction-level congestion.
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