The pre-construction work activities for carrying out repair works on Sion flyover will start today along with barricading the area below the flyover. Starting first week of May, the traffic movement on Sion flyover will be affected. The movement of heavy vehicles is already restricted on the flyover after a cement slab fell on the road from the flyover last month . According to Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) that is going to undertake repair works, the actual repair will start by first week of May followed by traffic restrictions traffic from first week of May. On Saturday, a joint inspection will be undertaken by MSRDC and Mumbai Traffic Police officials to decide final plan on traffic closure or diversion. A MSRDC official said, "Currently, barricading will be undertaken below the flyover, and when actual work starts, traffic will be shut on the flyover before which several joint inspections will be undertaken in order to ensure that there is no major traffic bottleneck due to the closure." The total cost of repair on 2+2 lanes of the Sion flyover is around Rs 6 crore, and the MSRDC has already appointed a contractor for carrying out the work. The repair work includes changing of bearings and expansion joints on 1.1-km-long flyover that was constructed in late 1990's and witnesses around 15,000 vehicles plying above it daily. Meanwhile, traffic in Central Mumbai is already affected due to to closure of Delisle Bridge in Lower Parel. Last year, the Western Railway and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation also shut Delisle Bridge outside Lower Parel station after it was found that the bridge is not fit for use. Currently, demolition process is underway and the bridge will be reconstructed. In the absence of Delisle Bridge, the closure of Sion flyover is going to cause major traffic jams. The Mumbai Traffic Police and MSRDC are yet to finalise the traffic diversion plan. Traffic Movement

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