The highway begins at Churchgate and
stretches up to Thane. At
Chembur it cuts off from the Sion
Panvel Highway at the RCF Junction (Priyadarshini)
to the outer limits of the city. It has heavy traffic during rush hours –
southbound traffic in the morning rush hour; while northbound traffic during the
evenings. It is used by an estimated 50,000 passenger cars daily. Towards south,
beyond Sion it continues as Dr Ambedkar Road. Linking Sion in central Mumbai to
Thane on the fringes of the financial capital and beyond, the
Eastern Express Highway is one of the
several key roads widened and improved under the Mumbai Urban
Infrastructure Project, by firms contracted
by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). It is a
north-south artery of Mumbai connecting the city proper to the eastern suburbs
and to the metropolitan area of Thane.