Gadkari stuck in Mumbai traffic, calls for replacing ageing flyovers with modern structures

Gadkari delayed by Mumbai traffic by nearly an hour, pitches new technology to replace ageing flyovers

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari reached an awards ceremony in Mumbai nearly an hour behind schedule after his vehicle was caught in the city's notorious traffic, prompting him to reflect on infrastructure limitations and call for the replacement of older flyovers with modern multi-level structures.

The Minister was travelling from Worli to the venue of the 22nd Indo-American Corporate Excellence Awards when he experienced the delay.

'Paying for my mistake,' says Gadkari

Addressing the gathering after his arrival, Mr. Gadkari drew attention to his late entry and used the occasion to discuss Mumbai's persistent congestion crisis. "Today I got late by an hour," he told attendees, adding with humour that he was "paying for my mistake", a reference to the road infrastructure projects he oversaw as Maharashtra's PWD Minister during the 1990s.

The event, held on September 11, was organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce's West India Council to recognise companies and business leaders contributing to India-U.S. trade and economic ties. Mr. Gadkari attended as the chief guest, while YES Bank MD and CEO Vinay Tonse was the guest of honour. Thirteen award winners were felicitated at the ceremony.

Infrastructure legacy from the 1990s

Recalling his earlier tenure in Maharashtra, Mr. Gadkari said he had been involved in the development of 55 flyovers in Mumbai, as well as major road infrastructure projects including the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and planning associated with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. However, he acknowledged that the technology available at the time was different from what is available today and suggested that some of Mumbai's older flyovers were no longer adequate for the sharp increase in traffic volumes.

Multi-level structures with Malaysian technology

The Minister disclosed that he had discussed the issue with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and suggested that ageing flyovers be replaced with structures using newer technology rather than continuing with conventional designs. As an example, Mr. Gadkari referred to infrastructure being planned in Pune, where he said multi-level structures could accommodate different modes of transport vertically, with roads constructed at different levels and a Metro corridor above them.

He said projects worth around ₹50,000 crore were being considered in Pune and referred to technology brought from Malaysia for such structures.

Illustration of Mumbai's continuing challenge

His remarks came against the backdrop of Mumbai's continuing struggle with road congestion despite decades of investment in flyovers, elevated roads, coastal connectivity and public transport. Mr. Gadkari's own delayed journey became an illustration of the challenge, with the Minister arguing that cities would increasingly have to use newer engineering solutions to add transport capacity within limited available space.

India-U.S. cooperation emphasised

Mr. Gadkari also used his address to emphasise greater cooperation between India and the United States, saying India's engineering and entrepreneurial capabilities could be combined with American technology and resources to create a "win-win" situation. The awards ceremony brought together business leaders, entrepreneurs and industry representatives from the Indo-U.S. business community and was aimed at recognising contributions to bilateral trade, innovation and economic cooperation.

Source: The Hindu