Mumbai: Pothole-ridden WEH drills holes in PWD's claims

Potholes on the Western Express Highway continue to give a bumpy ride to commuters. Pics/Bipin Kokate

Failing to keep its promise once again, the state public works department (PWD) is yet to repair the uneven surface on the Western Express Highway (WEH), even though MMRDA has already started its Metro construction work.

The department had promised that the potholes would be filled up and the stretch repaired once the rains stopped. However, the potholes continue to give bumpy rides to commuters.

Metro work starts
Work on the Metro stretch from Dahisar to Andheri east that passes via the WEH and the one from Dahisar to DN Nagar that passes via the Link Road has already started. The speed of work increased post-monsoon and especially after proper barricades were placed on the stretches.

Poor condition of roads
Earlier this month, during a press conference, MMRDA along with the traffic police department had claimed that the PWD promised to repair the road surface and potholes on the WEH before the Metro work starts in full pace. However, even after two weeks of the announcement being made, the condition of the roads is the same.

Commuters face trouble
"We expected that the entire WEH stretch would be repaired before the Metro work starts as the potholes are leading to a lot of traffic jam. Even after more than two weeks of the announcement nothing much has changed.

The stretch on the southern part of the highway just before the Jog flyover is still lying in the same condition," said a motorist Shoaib Hussain.

However, the road at certain places on the south-bound stretch between Aarey Colony flyover and Jogeshwari flyover has been repaired. But other places on the north-bound stretch of the highway near Jogeshwari, Kandivli and Malad are still in a bad condition.

"The Metro work is already leading to a lot of traffic jam and the uneven road surface is simply adding to the problems. Last night it took me more than an hour to travel from Bandra to Borivli via WEH which usually takes 25 to 30 minutes," says another motorist, Vinod Chowdhary, who frequently travels on the stretch.

Official speak
PWD executive engineer Sapna Koli said, "To the best of my knowledge, there are no potholes on the WEH as we have already filled them up. But the road is uneven at a few places, which will be repaired at the earliest."

50,000
Vehicles that use the Western Express Highway and Link Road