Gadkari delayed by Mumbai traffic by nearly an hour, pitches new technology to replace ageing flyovers
“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
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari was nearly an hour late for a Mumbai event due to traffic congestion, an experience he used to highlight the shortcomings of the infrastructure built during his tenure as Maharashtra's public works minister. The minister, who was travelling from Worli to attend the Indo-American Corporate Excellence Awards, praised the city's congestion problem while joking that he was "paying for his mistake," a reference to the road infrastructure developed during his time as the Public Works Department (PWD) minister in the 1990s.
Addressing the gathering after his delayed arrival, Gadkari pointed out that some of Mumbai's older flyovers were no longer adequate for the growing traffic volumes. He suggested replacing these ageing structures with newer technology, citing examples like multi-level structures planned in Pune, where roads are built at different levels, and a Metro corridor is constructed above them. The minister also mentioned a ₹50,000 crore project in Pune, referring to technology imported from Malaysia for such structures.
Gadkari's delayed journey on September 11 became a testament to the ongoing struggle with road congestion in Mumbai, despite decades of investment in flyovers, elevated roads, coastal connectivity, and public transport. He emphasized the need for greater cooperation between India and the United States, arguing that the combination of India's engineering and entrepreneurial capabilities with American technology and resources could yield a "win-win" situation for both nations.
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