There will be a big relief for the commuters travelling towards Mira Road and Bhyandar as vehicular congestion is likely to reduce soon. The Maharashtra government has decided to shift the toll plaza at Dahisar checknaka near the Versova Bridge in Andheri before Diwali 2025.
State Transport Minister Pratap Baburao Sarnaik gave an update about the shifting. He said that the Maharashtra government has decided that the Dahisar toll plaza will be shifted ahead. Speaking to the media at the Dahisar toll booth, Sarnaik said, "I have been trying for many years to ensure that the traffic jam problem here is resolved. In a meeting held in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, it was decided that the Dahisar toll plaza will be shifted ahead, before the Versova bridge, so that people do not face unnecessary difficulties."
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Sarnaik said despite the toll-free plaza, people heavy to face heavy traffic jams. He said that covering a distance of 10 minutes takes more than one hour to cover the same distance. Giving details about the shifting process, he said, the process for shifting will take a few more days because Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited (MSRDC) will present the proposal to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) after the session, and it will get approved.
He said a meeting has been held with the authorities, in the presence of Vasai-Virar Police Commissioner Niket Kaushik and MMRDA officials. Sarnaik assured that the relocation of the plaza from Dahisar to Andheri Versova bridge will take place before the Diwali festival and it will be a gift for Mira-Bhayandar and Vasai-Virar citizens.
The decision was taken by the state government after persistent complaints from the commuters over traffic jams due to the toll plaza's current position.
The problem of the bottleneck toll plaza is especially intense for over 1.5 million Mira-Bhayandar, Dahisar, and Thane residents, along with thousands of people travelling to and from Gujarat from Mumbai in cars. The toll plaza will be relocated about 2 km ahead of where it currently stands, opposite the Versova bridge, according to Sarnaik.