City commuters face major delays as GB H’way worsens | Mumbai News
Thane: The deteriorating condition of Ghodbunder Highway has returned to haunt motorists, leading to frequent massive traffic congestions and delays in travel time for Mumbai commuters using the arterial highway especially along the Thane and Mira-Bhayender city fringes. This crucial 14 km highway cutting through Thane and Mira-Bhayender city limits connects the Eastern and Western Express Highways at Mumbai’s northern tip, linking Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Konkan, and Gujarat. Over a lakh vehicles—local, inter-city, buses, and freight—use it daily. Regulars say the worst damaged stretches along the highway are at Kajupada, Chena Bridge, and Nira Kendra on the Thane-bound side, and the Gaimukh Ghat entry and Kasarwadavli junction on the Borivli-bound lanes. Commuters complain they often endure hours being stuck in the traffic here as heavy vehicles that form a majority on this link are forced to slow down while crossing the damaged road portions. Anand Mugad, who travels between Thane and Goregaon, says, “It takes me up to 2.5 hours one way. The road condition from Gaimukh to Kajupada is pathetic, causing at least four hours of daily commute. It took me over an hour on Friday to simply reach Majiwada from Fountain Hotel.” Travel by autos and transport buses fares worse, complain regular travellers. Sonali Shah, a commuter who travels between Thane and Dahisar, says, “Crossing these bumpy stretches feels like an amusement park ride. It’s worse at night and during heavy rains when potholes are hard to spot. It is a scary ride, especially with heavy vehicles tilting dangerously while crossing the damaged portion on the Gaimukh Ghat section.” When contacted, Mira-Bhayander and Thane traffic departments independently confirmed the Gaimukh Ghat stretch was the worst affected since the highway’s maintenance was shifted from the state PWD to local municipal corporations in the last two years. “We’re in talks with local authorities to ensure immediate repairs,” officials said.
