Mumbai: Mumbaikars, you have to wait for another 30 months to have a seamless and pothole-free commuting experience on the Western and Eastern Express Highways. Currently, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is responsible for the upkeep of these highways, has initiated the tendering process of making these highways into cement concrete (CC) roads.
The 24-km-long Western Express Highway (WEH) runs between Dahisar and Mahim. The Eastern Express Highway (EEH) is 24.9-km long and stretches between Sion and Majiwada. The project cost of WEH amounts to nearly Rs 650 crore while it will be Rs 470 crore for the EEH.
MMRDA commissioner SVR Srinivas said that the up-gradation work will be carried out on the build and maintain model. Till these multi-crore projects begin, the MMRDA has initiated temporary preventive steps to maintain these highways during monsoon. According to the MMRDA, once these highway roads are converted into CC surfaces, the pothole problem will permanently come to an end.
On July 20, the tenders will be opened and thereafter appropriate agency or contractor will be appointed to carry out the work. As per the civil engineers, the CC roads are more durable than asphalt roads. Moreover, it has minimal wear and tear problem, ensuring a smoother flow of traffic.
In addition, the CC roads have a shelf life of a minimum of 30 years and if the quality is maintained, it can remain undamaged for more years. The claim can be corroborated by the condition of the Mumbai Pune expressway, which is CC-built and no pothole has surfaced on it so far.
