Mumbai: With the Delisle bridge in Lower Parel being shut, BMC has started to widen a few nearby roads to ensure smooth movement of traffic in the area.On Saturday, officials from BMC's G South ward started road-widening work near Deepak Talkies, especially the portion near the junction of NM Joshi marg and Pandurang Budhkar Marg in Elphinstone. A few trees from the junction are likely to be transplanted elsewhere after getting clearance from the tree authority. They also removed hawkers from the area.The Delisle bridge was shut for vehicular traffic after it was declared unsafe by IIT Bombay, on July 24. Demolition of the bridge began on August 20. And re-construction of the bridge is expected to completed by February 15 next year.Civic officials said that as the former mill-land area has turned into a a business district, there is a lot of vehicular traffic during peak hours. “We had noticed huge traffic congestion for a long period at the junction so we decided to widen the road. Besides, there were a few hawkers who we had to evict," said an official.Assistant municipal commissioner of G South ward Devendra Kumar Jain said there are two road stretches which they are restoring to their full width. “We want to ensure that the traffic situation in the area is smooth... We started getting permissions for the widening of the the two roads a few months ago. There were trees that were required to be removed as well as transplanted. After getting permissions from the tree authority, those will be transplanted at the Worli cemetary," said Jain.The official said that the area around the junction of JR Boricha Marg and NM Joshi marg at Apollo mills area is also being widened. “There as well, there was an issue with smooth traffic movement especially during the peak hours. Next we plan to take up the widening of that stretch up to its full width," said Jain.

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