Mumbai: EEH, WEH service roads concreting to cost Rs 1.5K crore

Last year, the BMC spent R20 crore to repair potholes on both expressways as well as R90 crore to maintain them. Representation Pic/Satej Shinde

The BMC will spend Rs 1,591 crore on concreting the service roads, slip roads and junctions of the asphalt Eastern and Western Express Highways. Sources said if the Assembly election is delayed, the work will start before the state goes to polls; otherwise, work will begin after the election.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Authority (MMRDA) handed over the Eastern and Western Express Highways to the civic body in 2022. Last year, the BMC spent Rs 20 crore to repair potholes on both highways as well as R90 crore to maintain them.

"Both highways' service roads are badly damaged, but the main roads are in good condition. There are some spots where the main roads were damaged, but we have already repaired them with mastic asphalt," said Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar.

The total length of the Eastern and Western Express Highways is 19 km and 25 km respectively. "We are concreting all asphalt roads, so we have decided to concrete service road as well," Bangar said. The project will be complete in 24 months, excluding the monsoon period and the defect liability period is 10 years," he added.

The Eastern Express Highway, linking Mulund and Sion, and the Western Express Highway, connecting Dahisar to Bandra, were developed by the Public Works Department in the 1990s. They were handed over to the MMRDA in 2017.

The last day for submitting bids for the concreting work is October 7. "If the model code of conduct comes into force before the administrative process is finished, we can begin work after the Assembly election," a source told mid-day.