The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) has commenced construction work on the Dadar underground metro station as part of the Metro Line 3 project, leading to significant traffic diversions in key areas like Steelman Junction, Senapati Bapat Road, and Gokhale Road. The northbound stretch of Gokhale Road, from Gadkari Chowk to Steelman Junction, has been closed to vehicular traffic, with the southbound lane remaining open and both directions designated as “no-parking” zones.
In addition, Ranade Road has been converted into a one-way route, with vehicles restricted from entering the Senapati Bapat Statue towards Steelman Junction. To navigate these diversions, vehicles proceeding from Portuguese Church and northbound on Gokhale Road will need to take a left turn at Steelman Junction and proceed along Ranade Road, Dadasaheb Rege Road, and Gadkari Junction. Vehicles heading towards Dadar TT will turn right at Steelman Junction, then proceed along Ranade Road, Paneri Junction, take a left turn along NC Kelkar Road, and finally reach Kotwal Garden.
The Metro Line 3, also known as Aqua Line, is a 33.5km long underground corridor stretching from Colaba to Bandra to SEEPZ, comprising 27 key stations, of which 26 are underground and one at grade. Other stations in Dadar will be located at Sitladevi Temple in Mahim, Siddhi Vinayak in Dadar, and Worli.
With traffic diversions in place until September this year, motorists are likely to face increased congestion on already busy roads. The Mumbai traffic police have provided a traffic diversion plan to manage the flow of vehicles during this period. Integrated testing of trains is expected to begin soon on the Aarey Colony-Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) route, marking significant progress in the Metro Line 3 project.