This is what Western Express Highway looks like after Rs 6-cr repairs

After PWD spent Rs 6.33 crore to repair the Western Express Highway before rains, commuters continue to suffer due to potholes, uneven patches; department is currently undertaking patchwork repairs

Once again, the Western Express Highway is riddled with potholes, despite the Public Works Department (PWD) spending over Rs 6 crore of taxpayers’ money on pre-monsoon repairs. While the department continues to repair damaged sections of the road during dry spells, it is unable to keep up with the pace at which craters are turning up on the highway. This begs the question, why are potholes proliferating at this rate when such a huge amount was spent on pre-monsoon work?

Also read: Potholes mar Sion-Panvel highway despite Rs 1.5-cr repairs

Despite pre-monsoon repairs, the Western Express Highway is marred with potholes yet again. One of the worst stretches is in Andheri (West), near the Jog flyover, where the top layer of the road is peeling off, leading to craters and uneven patches. Pics/Tushar Satam

mid-day travelled on the WEH on Thursday and Friday and found several potholes on the north- and south-bound stretches, particularly between Goregaon and Kherwadi. One of the worst patches is on the north-bound arm of the highway, from the end of the Jog flyover at Andheri (West). This 30-metre section had also been repaired prior to the monsoon, but now it is not only marred by potholes, but the top layer of the road has started peeling off, making it extremely uneven and increasing the chances of bikes skidding there.

Hop, skip, jump: It’s not just motorists who are bothered by the potholes. Dodging the craters has become a daily problem for pedestrians.

The south end of the flyover is also damaged, with potholes and uneven patches, while another pothole-ridden section lies between Dindoshi and Jogeshwari.

According to motorists, this issue crops up every year. A local resident, Ganesh Nikam said, “I live nearby and, for the past 10 years, I’ve seen the PWD repair this road again and again, despite which potholes keep coming back. The question is: Are the authorities doing a shoddy job because of sub-standard material, or is this done deliberately so that contractors can earn more money with further repairs during monsoon?”

The PWD is already carrying out patchwork repairs on the highway, using stone crush powder and other materials. For larger potholes, however, the department is using paver blocks, which eventually results in dangerously uneven patches.

PWD began the pre-monsoon repairs and resurfacing in March, along with painting the road medians and lane markings. The work was completed by May 31, the date fixed by the government for completion of pre-monsoon road works.

Also read: Shoddy repairs cause craters on 5 roads in Matunga

Last month as well, mid-day had found several potholes between Borivli and Bandra and at the time, PWD executive engineer S S Deshmukh, who is in charge of WEH, had confirmed that over R6.33 crore had been spent on pre-monsoon repairs till May 31, including resurfacing of the road, repairing uneven surfaces.

A senior PWD official said, “The material used for the pre-monsoon work is of the best quality; it is wrong to say sub-standard material has been used. Potholes might have come up, but these are being repaired on a war footing.”

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