Vikhroli ROB- 3 Lanes For 2-Way Traffic; Who Planned It

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00:00Every Mumbaikar has a story about losing time to potholes, to traffic jams, to railway crossings

00:07that never opened on time. For thousands living in Vikrodi, that story played out every single day

00:13until now. After decades of waiting, the new Vikrodi railway over bridges finally opened.

00:19It promises to connect east and west more seamlessly and end the daily detours people

00:25were forced to take. But with praise also comes concern. From design choices to traffic planning,

00:31people are asking, does this bridge solve a problem or simply move it somewhere else?

00:37This is your honest take with me, Tejas on Lokhmut Times. In today's video,

00:41we take a critical look at the newly opened Vikrodi railway overbridge. But before that,

00:46please do subscribe to our channel if you haven't already and press the bell icon to never miss an

00:55trip. The railway stretches 615m and is 12m wide. It connects Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg in the west

01:02to the Eastern Express Highway in the east, a critical link that was missing for far too long.

01:07It cost over Rs 104 crore and was completed on time, a rare win for BMC and Indian Railways

01:14to jointly handle the construction. On June 14th, the bridge quietly opened to traffic. No ribbon

01:20cutting, just a silent start to what many hope is a smoother future. Now, why did this bridge matter

01:26so much? This wasn't just about convenience, it was a necessity. Since the railway level crossing in

01:32Vikrodi was shut down for safety reasons, residents had to go all the way to Ghat Kopar or Kanjur

01:38Mark just to cross from one side to other. A 5-minute journey became a 30-minute audio. The only

01:44alternative was old foot over bridge, good for pedestrians but completely inadequate for the

01:49city's groving traffic and vehicle load. But as always, this new bridge has been delayed by almost

01:56three decades. Yes, this bridge had been stuck in the system since 1997. That is 28 years of delay due

02:03to land issues, utility shifting and the usual bureaucratic red tape. So the opening of this ROB is not

02:10just welcome, it is overdue. But as always, not everything about this bridge is hunky-dory.

02:15Now, here is where concerns begin to creep in. The bridge has three lanes meant for two-way traffic,

02:21but there is no physical divider. That means vehicles moving in opposite directions share the same space

02:28without any barrier in between. For a city like Mumbai, where traffic density is high and discipline

02:34on the road can be patchy at best. This design raises safety flags. Many commuters and traffic

02:40experts feel a central divider or even smart lane segregation could have made the bridge significantly

02:46safer, especially at night and during the monsoon session. To be fair, space constraints may have

02:52limited design choices. But when safety is at stake, even small compromises can have big consequences.

03:00Another issue that is being flagged by locals is the Eastern Express Highway Junction. The bridge

03:05now channels a large volume of traffic directly into Eastern Express Highway. But the approach roads,

03:11especially in densely populated areas like Tagornagar and Kannamvarnagar, are still narrow and congested.

03:18Unless these are widened or better managed, there is a risk that the problem isn't being solved. It is

03:24just being relocated. You get a smoother ride across the railway tracks and then get stuck in the jam right

03:30after. Urban planners say infrastructure needs to be holistic. A bridge on its own isn't enough. The

03:36roads feeding into it must be upgraded too. Let's be clear, the Vikroi ROB is a major step forward.

03:43It closes a painful gap that existed for decades. But it also raises an uncomfortable question. Did we aim too

03:51low? For the money and time invested, could we have planned a four-lane bridge instead of three?

03:56Could we have made better safety provisions? Could the connecting infrastructure have been upgraded

04:02alongside the bridge? These aren't just technical questions. They are questions about vision.

04:08Infrastructure shouldn't just meet today's needs. It should anticipate tomorrow's. At the end of the day,

04:13the Vikroi ROB is both a success and a reminder. A success because it delivers something residents have

04:20waited decades for. A reminder because it shows how our planning still happens in silos. Build a bridge

04:27first, fix the connecting roads later. Design for movement but sometimes forget safety. There is a

04:33still time to fix this. Add signage, improve lane markings, rework traffic at the eastern express highway

04:39junction. Start planning for road widening near Tagornagar. These are small steps but they will make a big

04:45difference. This was your honest take with me Tejas on the newly opened Vikroi ROB. It's a much needed

04:51addition to Mumbai's infrastructure. But let's not stop at celebration. Let's keep the pressure on to

04:57ensure it is made safer, smarter and future ready. Do you use this route daily? Have things improved since

05:03the bridge opened? Or are you seeing new traffic issues emerge? Tell us in the comments because your

05:08feedback drives the real change. Don't forget to like, share and subscribe to Lokma Times for more sharp,

05:15sensible and honest news. Until next time, stay sharp, stay curious and don't stop asking tough questions.

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