| Work Detail |
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced a plan to invest ?1,600 crore for the concretization of service roads, slip roads, and junctions along the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) and Western Express Highway (WEH).
In a tender notice published on September 23, BMC outlined that the contract for the project will span 24 months, excluding the monsoon season. The scope of work includes various civil tasks such as concretization, construction of stormwater drains, ducts, footpaths, and other related works.
The tender document specifies that the contractor will be responsible for maintaining the project roads in traffic-worthy conditions during the monsoon by utilizing asphalt mixes until the contract is completed. Additionally, any trenches excavated by utilities, including those from BMC departments along the EEH, must be reinstated according to existing policy guidelines and relevant specifications, as directed by the engineer.
However, the initiative has faced criticism from RTI activist Anil Galgali, who argues that service roads are not designed for heavy vehicles and therefore do not require concretization. He stated, "If they are properly asphalted and maintained, service roads can last just as long. These roads are frequently dug up for trenching work, and once concretized, it will be harder to do so repeatedly without compromising the roads quality."
Earlier this year, a tender was issued before the monsoon season for the repair of damaged patches on both the WEH and EEH. The EEH covers a road length of 20 km, while the WEH extends across 35 km, both serving as crucial traffic routes, especially during peak hours.
In November 2022, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) transferred control of the EEH and WEH to BMC, which has since undertaken repairs, beautification, and comprehensive cleaning of the roads. |
