After years of delays and multiple inauguration deadlines, Palava junction railway flyover will open on May 31.

Six lanes of the flyover, on the Kalyan-Shil Road which bisects the Diva-Panvel rail route, will be opened for traffic initially, an official with the MSRDC said.

Work on two additional lanes will continue. Only finishing touches remain and it is just a question of time that the other will also be opened for commuters, the official added.

Opening of the flyover is expected to provide much-needed relief to thousands of commuters from Kalyan, Navi Mumbai, and Thane.

Earlier, Kalyan Rural MLA Rajesh More, along with MSRDC officials, inspected the site on April 17.

The flyover had come to symbolise the region's infrastructure woes. Even as work on the flyover kept delaying, daily traffic snarls, rising pollution, and extended travel times became the norm for the road users.

Giving vent to public frustration, MNS leader Pramod Patil installed a billboard announcing the date of the inauguration as April 31 at the hands of stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra. It was later revealed the announcement was a prank by Patil

Now, with the official opening date in place, optimism is returning. “This is a major milestone,” said MLA More. “We’ve monitored progress closely, and we’re almost there.”

Meanwhile, residents of Palava are keeping their fingers crossed hoping that the flyover will finally open for traffic.