As Mumbaikars continue to cry foul over the deplorable condition of the city's roads, mid-day takes a closer look at four roads that have needed urgent repairs for at least a year or longer
Mahim-Dharavi bridge
It has been over two years since a portion of the bridge (30 feet long, 12 feet wide) passing over a nullah in Dharavi caved in, but the BMC is yet to finish repairs. As a result, while one section of the road is closed off for repairs, the other section is being used for two-way movement of vehicles, increasing chances of traffic bottlenecks.
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The north-bound road from Mahim towards Dharavi via Fisherman’s Colony has been closed, and the BMC will only decide whether to open it after it conducts an inspection in the area. However, sources said that repairs in that patch were as yet incomplete, which could mean a longer wait for motorists on this route.
With half of the Mahim-Dharavi bridge closed for repairs, several trucks and other vehicles have been parked here illegally, while the remaining half of the bridge is supporting two-way traffic. Pic/Shadab Khan
The westbound stretch is also closed, and when mid-day visited the spot last afternoon, the damaged stretch was clogged with heavy vehicles that had been parked there.
Official speak
BMC Chief Engineer (Bridges) S A Kori said, “The proposal to repair the bridge was approved by the authorities, but the work has been put on hold currently. We need to fix some technical problems before we can begin repairs again.”
Voices
Devdas Jadhav
Commuter
Half of the bridge is closed and this is a big issue. The road has now become narrower and traffic jams have become unavoidable. The authorities should finish the work at the earliest to give us some relief.
Dinesh Vastav
Taxi driver
The road has been in this condition for over two years, and now heavy vehicles are also being parked here. If we could just have the whole road back, there would be less trouble for us.
Daulatnagar, Santacruz (West)
A private road at Daulatnagar in Santacruz (West) that comes under the jurisdiction of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) had more than 180 potholes before the monsoon, and is yet to be repaired by the authorities.
The road near Sane Guruji school in Santacruz is heavily damaged, and commuters complain that though this is the worst patch, it has not yet been repaired. Pic/Nimesh Dave
So far, only half of the road has been repaired, but commuters have complained that the worst patch near Sane Guruji school is still pothole-ridden.
This has led to traffic snarls along the road, which connects the Bandra-Khar Link road to S V Road in Santacruz. The road also provides a shorter route for those heading from Bandra towards the airport or other areas in the east.
Official speak
Nirmalkumar Deshmukh, SRA chief, said, “I will send my officials to the spot tomorrow itself, and we will see to it that the remaining stretch there is repaired in a week’s time.”
Voices
P K Gupta
Autorickshaw driver
The problem is that even if you are close to the signal, you still cannot cross it because the road is so uneven and leads to traffic jams. Commuters get upset and end up arguing with each other.
Satish Yadav
Commuter
Not only does the road’s condition cause huge traffic jams during peak hours, it’s also a problem for senior citizens and pregnant women. Thankfully, a majority of the road has been repaired, and we expect that the remaining stretch will also be repaired at the earliest.
Aarey Road, Goregaon (East)
Almost four months ago, the BMC had taken over this road from the CEO of Aarey Colony Complex, assuring speedy repairs. With the road notorious for being pockmarked with hundreds of potholes, commuters were no doubt relieved in the belief that they would soon enjoy a smoother ride.
The BMC has now crushed residents’ hopes of a smoother Aarey Road, with its decision to only repair the road once work on the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road begins. Pic/Nimesh Dave
However, after partial repairs of the road (from Marol towards Picnic Point), the corporation recently said that repairs had been put on hold, and would only be resumed while implementing the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road project.
Official speak
Ashok Pawar, chief engineer (Roads), said, “Since we have taken charge of the road, our local ward office has been maintaining it, but now reconstruction of the road will happen during the construction of Goregaon-Mulund Link Road.”
Voices
Sunny Dubey
Commuter
Repairs on Aarey Road are done only so the authorities can fool people, since potholes keep coming back. It’s been over two months since monsoon ended and I don’t know why the BMC is waiting to repair the road.
Farooq Shaikh
Commuter
Sometimes I feel that it was better when the road was under the CEO of Aarey Colony and was maintained by the PWD. At least repairs used to be made then. But since the BMC took over, potholes have only multiplied.
Kasturba Road #1, Borivli (East)
Commuters have complained that the road leading to the railway station remains damaged throughout the year despite being an important junction for public transport outside the station.
The road leading to Borivli railway station, despite being a major junction for public transport, remains damaged throughout the year, complain commuters. Pic/Nimesh Dave
The road also leads to the Tata Power Housing Colony in Borivli (East), where there is heavy traffic during peak hours due to uneven patches in the asphalt road. But it’s not just the common man who suffers a bumpy ride on the road with the Kasturba police station located right by the road, even cops are distressed by the BMC’s negligence.
Official speak
Kishore Gandhi, assistant municipal commissioner of the R-Central (Borivli) ward, said, “This road has to be completely reconstructed, not just repaired. However, reconstruction is taken care of by the central agency of roads, not the ward office.”
The local corporator, Asavari Patil, said, “I have been following up with the BMC officials to get the whole stretch in the station area repaired. Repairs will begin soon, as the proposal is due to reach the standing committee. Once that is cleared, the work orders will soon be floated.”
Voices
A constable
Kasturba police station
It’s not just citizens who suffer; even our police vehicles move slowly because of the potholes and rough patches, and we are usually delayed because of that.
Atul Malankar
Local resident
I usually take this road every day and have to suffer the rough patches. This is the situation throughout the year, and we hope the road is repaired at the earliest.
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