Gadkari delayed by Mumbai traffic by nearly an hour, pitches new technology to replace ageing flyovers

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Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. File | Photo Credit: PTI

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari arrived nearly an hour late for an event in Mumbai after getting caught in the city’s traffic, an experience he used to acknowledge the limitations of infrastructure built during his own tenure as Maharashtra’s public works Minister and call for ageing flyovers to be replaced using newer technology.

Mr. Gadkari was travelling from Worli to attend the 22nd Indo-American Corporate Excellence Awards in Mumbai when he was delayed in traffic. Addressing the gathering after reaching the venue, he pointed to his delayed arrival before turning to Mumbai’s larger congestion problem.

“Today I got late by an hour,” Mr. Gadkari said, before joking that he was “paying for my mistake” — a reference to the road infrastructure developed when he was Maharashtra’s PWD Minister in the 1990s.

The event, held on September 11, was organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce’s West India Council to recognise companies and business leaders contributing to India-U.S. trade and economic ties. Mr. Gadkari attended as the chief guest, while YES Bank MD and CEO Vinay Tonse was the guest of honour. Thirteen award winners were felicitated at the event.

Mr. Gadkari recalled that during his tenure in Maharashtra, he had been involved in the development of 55 flyovers in Mumbai, as well as major road infrastructure projects including the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and planning associated with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

However, he said the technology available at the time was different from what is available today and suggested that some of Mumbai’s older flyovers were no longer adequate for the sharp increase in traffic volumes.

The Minister said he had discussed the issue with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and suggested that ageing flyovers be replaced with structures using newer technology rather than continuing with conventional designs.

As an example, Mr. Gadkari referred to infrastructure being planned in Pune, where he said multi-level structures could accommodate different modes of transport vertically — with roads constructed at different levels and a Metro corridor above them. He said projects worth around ₹50,000 crore were being considered in Pune and referred to technology brought from Malaysia for such structures.

His remarks came against the backdrop of Mumbai’s continuing struggle with road congestion despite decades of investment in flyovers, elevated roads, coastal connectivity and public transport. Mr. Gadkari’s own delayed journey on Friday (September 11) became an illustration of the challenge, with the minister arguing that cities would increasingly have to use newer engineering solutions to add transport capacity within limited available space.

Mr. Gadkari also used his address to emphasise greater cooperation between India and the United States, saying India’s engineering and entrepreneurial capabilities could be combined with American technology and resources to create a “win-win” situation.

The awards ceremony brought together business leaders, entrepreneurs and industry representatives from the Indo-U.S. business community and was aimed at recognising contributions to bilateral trade, innovation and economic cooperation.

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