Mumbai: The BMC is set to resume road concretisation work on 701 kilometers of roads following the monsoon, having issued a work order for the second phase covering 309 kilometers. However, they are still waiting for a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the traffic police, raising concerns about the ability to meet completion deadlines.
To combat potholes, the BMC launched the concretisation initiative with Rs. 6,080 crore in contracts for Phase 1, the largest civic contract to date. Phase 2 is set to allocate an additional Rs. 6,000 crore, but only 30% of the work was completed by June 10 since the project's launch in January 2023. After a four-month halt during the monsoon, work is expected to resume on October 1.
A target has been established to complete the concretisation of 324 kilometers of roads in the eastern and western suburbs within 240 days, from October 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025. The civic authorities have directed road engineers to create a detailed list of roads for concretisation and develop a monthly schedule to keep the project on track. However, the second phase has yet to commence pending the traffic NOC.
"The concretisation work is facing challenges, particularly in obtaining the NOC from the traffic police and relocating underground utilities. To minimise traffic disruption, the work is scheduled for nighttime. With several roads set to be dug up, the traffic police are planning measures to ensure smoother traffic flow and reduce inconvenience. The concretisation work in phase 1 has resumed and we are hopeful to start getting permission for roads under phase 2, next week. Once the work starts, it will proceed in full swing," said a senior civic official.
Meanwhile, the BMC is prioritising the concretisation of service roads, slip roads, and junctions along the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) and the Western Express Highway (WEH), with an estimated project cost of around Rs. 1,591 crore.
To ensure high standards and quality in the cement concreting process, the BMC has appointed the Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay (IIT-B) as an independent agency for quality control. In a recent meeting with IIT experts, the municipal commissioner emphasised the need for meticulous quality inspections throughout the process.
Total road network in Mumbai - 2,050 kms
Concretised till now - above 1,000 kms
Yet to be concretised... Phase 1–397 kms ...906 roads.
Phase 2...309 kms. ...1,212 roads
Work completed in phase 1 (eastern and western suburbs)- 30%
