Mumbai: After 2 die on Borivli flyover due to potholes, BMC, MSRDC pass the buck

The Western Express Highway flyover in Borivli on which a bike-borne couple hit a pothole on Wednesday and was mowed by a dumper has been a risk for motorists since months.

When the Free Press Journal visited the accident spot on Thursday, the stretch had small to medium-sized potholes, which could be manoeuvrable for cars and heavy vehicles but pose serious danger to two-wheelers, especially at night. The reporter found bags full of stones lying on the side, possibly to fill the potholes after the horrific incident.

“BMC vehicles were patrolling the area in the morning, but I am not sure about the purpose of their visit,” said a street vendor, who has a shop right under the flyover. The BMC, however, said the accident occurred on the north-bound carriageway of the flyover, across Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which is in the jurisdiction of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation.

Radhyeshyam Mopalwar, the managing director of MSRDC, had said after the accident on Wednesday, “Our team led by chief engineer visited the spot and found no potholes, except a few small ones. The pothole filling work is in progress, but the traffic police are permitting different time schedules owing to heavy traffic.”

A commuter, Rakhi Doshi said, “We are extra cautious when we come across potholes, not just on Western Express Highway, but everywhere on Mumbai roads.” She said that she heard about the terrible news on social media about the couple losing their lives. “It’s really scary, as I travel on this route almost every day twice for my work. It would be really helpful for people like us if the roads are made better,” she said.

Another commuter, who travels by his car every day on the same route said, “This is classic Mumbai! Either it’s traffic jams or it’s potholes. These are the things that never change in this city, regardless of what season it is. I have been living here for the past 40 years, and this is something that may never change.”