Ulhasnagar: MLA Kumar Ailani has urged the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) not to demolish the Shahad rail overbridge until an alternative traffic arrangement is in place, warning that the closure could cause major inconvenience to students, traders, ambulance services and commuters travelling between Kalyan and Ulhasnagar.At a meeting on Friday, officials from the MMRDA, traffic police, Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC), Public Works Department (PWD) and National Highways department discussed the proposed demolition of the existing bridge and construction of a new one.Ailani said the authorities should first expedite construction of the elevated flyover on the bank of Ulhas river between Bhawani Chowk (Prem Auto) and Shantinagar on a war footing. The new link, he said, would help ease traffic congestion affecting both Kalyan and Ulhasnagar. Work on demolishing the Shahad bridge and constructing its replacement should begin only after an alternative route is available, he added.Ailani pointed out that many traders from Ulhasnagar live in Kalyan, while students from both cities travel across the area for education. He recalled that when the Shahad bridge was closed for repairs for a month recently, commuters had to endure traffic jams lasting four to five hours.During the meeting, MMRDA superintending engineer Bhushan Mhaske said issues concerning land belonging to Buddha Bhoomi and Palm Resort were delaying the project. He assured the meeting that construction of the new bridge would not cause damage to anyone’s property.Ailani asked officials to resolve the land-related issues through discussions at the earliest. Mhaske said he would take up the traffic-related concerns with senior officials and convene a meeting to find a solution.The demolition work was scheduled to begin after Diwali, prompting Ailani to intervene and call the meeting to discuss the impact on commuters. He said development and timely completion of the new bridge were necessary, but the authorities must ensure that residents were not inconvenienced because of the project.The proposed new bridge at Shahad will be a four-lane structure, around 17 metres wide and approximately one kilometre long.
