Mumbai’s traffic cops debunk social media message that Western Express Highway will be closed

A viral message on social media claiming that Mumbai’s Western Express Highway will be closed for a year at night due to construction of the Metro has turned out to be a hoax.

The message, which caused confusion amongst the city’s motorists, claimed that the highway that connects the city’s western suburbs from Bandra to Dahisar, and subsequently all the way to Ahmedabad, says, “The WEH will be closed for a year between midnight and 5 am from Pathanwadi flyover (in Malad) to The Times of India flyover (also in Malad). The Mumbai traffic police has directed all motorists to avoid using the highway at night during this period,” the message read.

However, when DNA contacted the Mumbai police, it was revealed that no such step had been taking. “Shutting down the Western Express Highway isn’t possible. The message is false,” said Sanjay Jadhav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic suburb).

Jadhav added that the stretch was closed only on Tuesday for a while when the U girder for the Metro was being put in place. “We had made arrangements for motorists as one lane on the southbound stretch was converted into a counter lane,” he said..

Meanwhile, the Goregaon-Malad Link road is now a …read more