[Lij]

LBS road in Mulund West now has 8 traffic signals within 1.6km, a signal every 200m on a National Highway.

1. Ralli Wolf signal
2. Johnson & Johnson / Fire Brigade Signal (after 400m)
3. BP Petrol Pump signal (after 300m)
4. ESIS signal (after 50m)
5. Veena Nagar Signal (after 300m) -> this is a relatively new one
6. Santoshi Mata Mandir/Zojwala Petrol Pump signal (after 300m)
7. Bal Rajeshwar Mandir signal (after 20m) -> this is the latest signal of the lot
8. R-Mall signal (after 300m)

Signal # 7 I believe is absolutely not required and maybe signal # 5 to an extent. They infact add more to the peak hour traffic chaos.

When coming from Mumbai, signal # 6 only has a left turn and signal # 7 a right one. Since timings of these 2 signals are not coordinated and combined with the fine traffic sense of our people, usually at peak hours there is a block at signal # 6.

[mahesh_sn]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Those taking the Eastern express highway between Thane and Ghatkopar stretches, please avoid driving in the middle lane as there are too many potholes cropped up due to recent rains. These potholes are good enough to make you lose balance on the steering and force sudden manoeuvres into other lanes. Even the flyovers have these unmarked potholes which can make you skip a beat.

This is the first time I have seen such deep potholes on the EE highway. It anybody guess how soon will these be repaired.

It seems these string of potholes appeared overnight. Curiously enough, these potholes are in both Thane and Mumbai direction and in the same stretch of the road on either side. I believe its a deliberate act. Anyways, potholes were being repaired today morning 11.30 ish in the Mumbai direction. Looking at the material being used, potholes will appear again for sure, after next spell of rain.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by Lij

LBS road in Mulund West now has 8 traffic signals within 1.6km, a signal every 200m on a National Highway.

LBS road is a national highway?? I very much doubt that.

Originally Posted by mahesh_sn

Looking at the material being used, potholes will appear again for sure, after next spell of rain.

I was horrified yesterday to see the road repair on the Eastern express highway at Sion where they had laid paver blocks in the pothole and filling with dry sand/stone mix at the sides. How much long is that going to last. That paver block when becomes loose is a waiting missile to be fired.

Whatever happened to those expensive pothole repair machines which the BMC procured and then later spent a bomb on repairing them.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/repor...illing-2106528

[Lij]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

LBS road is a national highway?? I very much doubt that.
...

Oops my bad, , if I am not wrong LBS meets NH3 further down.

But my concern was the cropping up of unnecessary signals every few meters on this arterial road, which instead of reducing the traffic chaos is adding to it.

[Desmosedici]

Totally agree on that point. Even in Western Suburbs, its the same. Every few hundred metres, there is one signal. Can we not report / request this to some authority. Does this fall under the RTO, i.e. Signal Installation.

[abhi7992]

Originally Posted by Lij

7. Bal Rajeshwar Mandir signal (after 20m) -> this is the latest signal of the lot

I second you, The one near Bal Rajeshwar temple is unnecessarily adding to the chaos. Rest of them are very much needed. But still traffic at Mulund LBS is very much better than Bhandup, Ghatkopar etc.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by mahesh_sn

Curiously enough, these potholes are in both Thane and Mumbai direction and in the same stretch of the road on either side. I believe its a deliberate act. Anyways, potholes were being repaired today morning 11.30 ish in the Mumbai direction.

The potholes on the EE highway from Mulund toll till Bhandup village are filled up and amusingly enough a proper treatment has been done for the same. Funnily the potholes after Bhandup village till Powai turn are still yet to be repaired, I guess they are waiting for an auspicious moment to do so.

Everyday its frustrating to see the toll structures erected after the toll towards Thane and before the toll while coming from Thane becoming major traffic obstructions. Its also confusing for many vehicles to choose the correct toll lane.

[mahesh_sn]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Everyday its frustrating to see the toll structures erected after the toll towards Thane and before the toll while coming from Thane becoming major traffic obstructions. Its also confusing for many vehicles to choose the correct toll lane.

Same thing happened with Airoli toll. They are raising new booths for ETC (using RFID tags) toll collection. I really don't know why existing toll booths can't be used for the same, as anyways vehicles have to pass through two booths (including ETC) on a single lane. With an empty toll booth with no queue in immediate sight, vehicles enter the ETC lane and get held up on the ETC booth. I have started taking booths on the extreme left to avoid this.

[ghodlur]

Finally after a long and arduous wait of Four years the Mumbai arm of the Majiwada flyover is finally open to public after it was inaugurated on 17th August 2015. Even though this may sound as a major relief to lakhs of commuters, I for one am very wary of using this flyover because of the dangerous design. The turn towards Mumbai is very very sharp which may cause vehicles to slow down and in the process create a major bottleneck on the flyover similar to something which is happening below the flyover. This is purely from the visual looks I had when the arm was being built. I intend to take the flyover tomorrow while coming to office and would update more on the drive experience.

It seems the residents in the nearby buildings are upset for not providing any noise barriers for the flyover arm.

http://www.iamin.in/en/mumbai-south-...ommuters-67212

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/48499322.cms

[AkMar]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

The turn towards Mumbai is very very sharp which may cause vehicles to slow down and in the process create a major bottleneck on the flyover similar to something which is happening below the flyover. This is purely from the visual looks I had when the arm was being built. I intend to take the flyover tomorrow while coming to office and would update more on the drive experience.

I agree with you. This turn, coupled with the narrow bridge can cause snarls on the bridge. I passed on the flyover today at 10.30 am, (towards Bhiwandi road, not on Mumbai arm) the amount of vehicles using Mumbai arm was way too less compared to my expectations.

My main grouse with Ghodbunder road flyovers is that they are too narrow. They can hardly accommodate two lanes per direction. Two lanes are marked on them, but width of each lane is very less. They would prove woefully inadequate for traffic a couple of years down the line. Signs of this are already showing - at times the speed of traffic on flyovers is less than that of traffic below them. At Patlipada flyover, for example, one can clear the section quicker by not using the flyover while going towards Borivali. On the other hand the traffic situation is worsening in the newly developing parts where there are no flyovers. Traffic gets very slow due to 4 signals - Vijay garden, Anand Nagar, Kasarvadavli & Ovala. Lack of traffic sense adds to the mess.

[1lokesh]

Originally Posted by mahesh_sn

Same thing happened with Airoli toll. They are raising new booths for ETC (using RFID tags) toll collection. I really don't know why existing toll booths can't be used for the same, as anyways vehicles have to pass through two booths (including ETC) on a single lane. With an empty toll booth with no queue in immediate sight, vehicles enter the ETC lane and get held up on the ETC booth. I have started taking booths on the extreme left to avoid this.

They are running RFID trials and I'm one of the guinea pig

The whole idea of the RFID tags is that the vehicles don't need to stop at the tolls. If existing booths are used for these tags as well, trial subjects like me will have to wait till everyone ahead me has paid in cash or showed their monthly pass.
Nevertheless, I have seen scores of people who haven't still figured out to stay away from that top lane with signboards literally as big as elephants, mentioning entry only for ETC tag vehicles. They try their luck everyday with a hope that the guard would let them in and they can zoom past. But I must say that the guards have been pretty consistent in stopping such drivers, only that this results in piling up of cars in this ETC lane.

[amit]

Originally Posted by 1lokesh

Nevertheless, I have seen scores of people who haven't still figured out to stay away from that top lane with signboards literally as big as elephants, mentioning entry only for ETC tag vehicles. They try their luck everyday with a hope that the guard would let them in and they can zoom past.

They should have 'ETC LANE ONLY' markings from at least 2 kms before the toll plaza to avoid these bottle necks. These markings should also be painted on the road apart from on boards. Currently the boards are installed at the toll plaza's which serves no purpose.

[vinit]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

The turn towards Mumbai is very very sharp which may cause vehicles to slow down and in the process create a major bottleneck on the flyover similar to something which is happening below the flyover.

Well, I guess there are two points here. One, if you see the traffic from GB road to Nashik, its not that much compared to the traffic from GB road to Mumbai. So, vehicles will definitely slow down for those sharp turns but 80% of them will be Mumbai bound only, in any case.

Two, if you see the total distance of that flyover, many vehicles will go towards Mumbai without using the same thereby reducing the traffic on the flyover.

[Lij]

Originally Posted by 1lokesh

....
I have seen scores of people who haven't still figured out to stay away from that top lane with signboards literally as big as elephants, mentioning entry only for ETC tag vehicles.
...

Originally Posted by amit

They should have 'ETC LANE ONLY' markings from at least 2 kms before the toll plaza to avoid these bottle necks. These markings should also be painted on the road apart from on boards. Currently the boards are installed at the toll plaza's which serves no purpose.

Why not penalize? Those without the tags using these lanes should be charged at 200% of the existing rates. The word will spread quickly and maybe in a few days the ETC lanes will be clear for tag holders.

[ghodlur]

Originally Posted by ghodlur

I intend to take the flyover tomorrow while coming to office and would update more on the drive experience.

Originally Posted by AkMar

I agree with you. This turn, coupled with the narrow bridge can cause snarls on the bridge. I passed on the flyover today at 10.30 am, (towards Bhiwandi road, not on Mumbai arm) the amount of vehicles using Mumbai arm was way too less compared to my expectations.

Originally Posted by vinit

So, vehicles will definitely slow down for those sharp turns but 80% of them will be Mumbai bound only, in any case.

Two, if you see the total distance of that flyover, many vehicles will go towards Mumbai without using the same thereby reducing the traffic on the flyover.

I used the Mumbai arm of the Majiwada flyover today while coming to office and couple of observations:

1. Very few vehicles using the Mumbai arm. Either people don't know that the arm is opened or don't want to use for reasons best known to them.
2. Before the turn to the Mumbai arm on the flyover there is a speed breaker and at the start of the arm there are rumbler strips. These both force you to reduce the speed which is good considering that the start of the arm is on a turn.
3. There are 4 speed breakers at the end of the arm where it joins the Nashik flyover and in addition there are rumbler strips there too which will again force the vehicles to slow down so that the oncoming vehicles from Nashik directions can be seen before proceeding on the flyover. Again a good thing. There are markings for the speed breakers too. The speed breakers are of those plastic ones generally used in the bylanes or office premises.
4. The condition of the Mumbai arm is good as of now, only time will tell. Even the main Majiwada flyover starting at Cinemax towards Nashik is good with few potholes thrown in between.
5. It took me almost 2 minutes when I took the flyover which other wise crossing that section would take around 5 minutes minimum. So a saving in time though at times I felt I am taking a longer route than normal (approx 750 mtrs more than usual).