18 June,2014 09:48 AM IST | | Ranjeet Jadhav
MSRDC repaired the flyover after it developed cracks on slabs underneath it and opened it to traffic on May 31, but the first spell of rains have left behind potholes at several patches
It has only been a few weeks since the southbound stretch of the Dindoshi flyover opened for traffic on May 31, but the first spell of rains has already caused potholes to develop on the road. This, after the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation spent lakhs to repair the bridge.
Potholes have appeared on the flyover in the first few spells of the rains. Pic/Kaushik Thanekar
The bridge had been put under repairs after a team of experts from IIT-Bombay, in their analyses, found that nine slabs of the flyover had cracked. The report stated, "It's not possible to pinpoint any specific reason for the crack in the slabs, however, their nature appears to be primarily structural and due to bending of the slabs.
The possible reasons may be due to fatigue, overloading and the curved shape of the bridge in the plan and elevation." After much bickering and red-tapeism between MSRDC and Traffic department, the flyover was put under repairs on May 4. It was opened to traffic only light vehicles on May 31.
However, more than 10 potholes have developed on the surface, most likely due to substandard quality of material used. This is the condition when the monsoon is still in the initial stages. mid-day visited the spot and saw that the bitumen or tar layer had started coming off, leaving holes behind.
A traffic police constable requesting anonymity said, "Within just a few spells of rain, the road surface has started coming off and potholes have formed. This means the resurfacing of the road was not properly done.
If more potholes develop, they will cause vehicles to slow down and result in a traffic jam." Even in October, the same patch of the bridge had been shut off to vehicles when a portion of the road surface had caved in.
