Gadkari delayed traffic in Mumbai by almost an hour, proposes new technology to replace aging flyovers

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. File | Photo credit: PTI

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari arrived at an event in Mumbai nearly an hour late after getting stuck in the city’s traffic, an experience he used to acknowledge the limitations of infrastructure built during his tenure as Maharashtra’s public works minister and call for replacing aging flyovers with newer technology.

Mr. Gadkari was traveling from Worli to attend the 22nd Indo-American Corporate Excellence Awards in Mumbai when he was delayed in traffic. After arriving at the venue, he addressed the gathering and pointed out his late arrival before turning to the larger problem of Mumbai’s congestion.

“I was late by an hour today,” Mr Gadkari said, before joking that he was “paying for my mistake” – a reference to the road infrastructure developed when he was PWD minister in Maharashtra in the 1990s.

The event, held on September 11, 2026, was organized by the West Indies Council of the Indo-US Chamber of Commerce to recognize companies and business leaders contributing to India-US trade and economic ties. Mr Gadkari attended as the chief guest, YES Bank MD and CEO Vinay Tonse was the guest of honour. Thirteen awardees were honored at the event.

Mr. Gadkari recalled that during his tenure in Maharashtra, he was involved in the development of 55 flyovers in Mumbai, as well as major road infrastructure projects including the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the planning of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

However, he said the technology available at the time was different from what is available today and suggested that some of Mumbai’s older flyovers were no longer adequate for the surge in traffic.

The minister said he discussed the issue with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and suggested that the aging flyovers be replaced with structures using newer technology rather than continuing with conventional structures.

As an example, Mr Gadkari cited the infrastructure planned in Pune, where he said multi-level structures could vertically accommodate different modes of transport – with roads built at different levels and a metro corridor above them. He said projects worth around ₹ 50,000 crore were being considered in Pune and referred to the technology brought in from Malaysia for such constructions.

His remarks came against the backdrop of Mumbai’s continued struggle with traffic congestion despite decades of investment in flyovers, flyovers, coastal connectivity and public transport. Mr Gadkari’s own delayed trip on Friday (September 11) illustrated the challenge, with the minister arguing that cities will increasingly need to use newer technical solutions to add transport capacity in the limited space available.

Mr. Gadkari also used his speech to highlight greater cooperation between India and the United States, saying that India’s engineering and business capabilities could be combined with American technology and resources to create a “win-win” situation.

The awards ceremony brought together business leaders, entrepreneurs and industry representatives from the Indian-American business community to recognize contributions to bilateral trade, innovation and economic cooperation.

Published – 14 Sep 2026 09:52 IST