The more the things change...

...the more they remain the same. This post is in the context of the traffic scenario in parts of Mumbai.

I remember about 13 years ago there was no Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road. Traveling from Powai to Andheri meant taking the route via Saki Naka. There was the other option of traveling by the Aarey Colony Road, but at that time toll rates were considered exorbitant. One particular evening I remember the traffic being so bad via Saki Naka that it took me 3 hours to just reach Andheri station.

A few years later things eased up because of the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR); traffic got divided between the two routes. Another few years down the line, many people commuting to Goregaon and beyond started taking the Aarey Colony route. This further eased the traffic going towards Andheri. (Of course, matters became worse for people traveling to Goregaon...but that's not part of this story).

A couple of years ago, the Saki Naka junction and the road towards Andheri were widened...traveling to Andheri was not so much of a pain...whichever route was taken.

But, it seems we are back to the starting point...traveling via Saki Naka now can take as much as 2 hours to reach Andheri as I recently experienced. While I conciously take buses that go by the JVLR to Andheri, I had the misfortune to take a bus via Saki Naka a couple of times in the recent past. And that commute was enough to convince me not to travel by that route (except maybe at late nights).

Actually, the real reason for the change in traffic scenario is the numerous setups (buildings, industries) that have come up along that route...Chandivali, behind Saki Naka post office, Marwah lane, etc. That is why the more the things change, the more they remain the same.