As reported by Express news service on Mon Sep 06 2010
In June this year, the World Bank extended the deadline for the much-delayed Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) to December 2011.
Planned in 1997 and work finally started in 2003, the project aims to connect the eastern and western suburbs with an elevated road with a promise that the distance from Chembur to Santacruz can one day be covered in just 15-20 minutes. However, a 4-km stretch of the six-lane elevated road, from Kurla near the CST bridge to the Amar Mahal junction in Chembur, is running behind its original schedule by nearly five years. With four extensions, the SCLR is also a key reason for the long delays in completing the Mumbai Urban Transport Project.
The relocation of around 3,500 structures (both commercial and residential) and eight religious structures was the main reason for the delay. “The land acquisition is almost complete with the tenants of the buildings at Netaji Nagar finally agreeing to vacate the plot. A small patch has to to be acquired near the Amar Mahal junction, which houses a mosque,” said an MMRDA official.
