THANE: Commuters on the Ghodbunder highway connecting Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik and Gujarat continue to face delays, with the Kasarwadavli flyover towards Gaimukh remaining shut for over a month after structural defects were detected last month.The two-lane, one-way flyover, inaugurated in July 2025 to bypass the congested junction, was abruptly closed in September this year after motorists flagged defects in its side barriers. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) that executed the works subsequently ordered a structural inspection, which reportedly identified multiple issues requiring extensive repairs.The closure has forced Gaimukh-bound freight vehicles onto the adjoining slip road, worsening congestion at the junction. Pedestrians fear the increased movement of heavy vehicles could lead to accidents, while motorists say they lose an average of 20 minutes in each direction while crossing the bottleneck.“Even though travelling on the bridge wasn’t smooth, it helped reduce travel time to some extent. But we never expected it to develop faults so soon. The contractor must be penalised for the inconvenience caused. Crossing the junction is again a nightmare,” said commuter Ashish Shah.Pankaj Shirsat, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), Thane, said the traffic police had received no communication from the MMRDA regarding the flyover’s reopening.The flyover is likely to be repaired and reopen by the end of this month, said the MMRDA, with the contractor likely to bear the cost of inspection and repairs. Details of the defects were however not available while filing this report.The shutdown has also delayed the next phase of the project — a two-lane flyover towards Mumbai, planned in the opposite direction.
