In order to provide better roads for motorists, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is chalking out a plan to lay out two-lane concrete roads on the Eastern and Western Express Highway. This will come up next to the medians. This will ensure that at least the fast lanes will be free from potholes and will be in a good condition. Both highways are 4 lane on each side with service road on extreme left.
The MMRDA will be laying cement roads along Kalanagar in Bandra up to Dahisar, which is a 25-km stretch on the WEH. Also, the 18-km Sion circle stretch to Mulund will have these roads.
Metropolitan commissioner of MMRDA S V R Srinivas said they will be laying concrete roads on two lanes--right most and middle lanes. This will ensure that the life of road improves and pothole issues are eliminated.
Senior MMRDA officials said the other lanes will continue to have asphalt as there are underground utilities like power cables, gas lines, water and drainage lines, among others. “The right-most lanes will have a better life span and will ensure smooth movement of traffic,” said a MMRDA official.
According to contractors and engineers, the cost of the project has been pegged at around Rs 5000-Rs 7000 per sq m, while the cost of asphalt road is around Rs 2000-Rs3000 per sq m. Also, the life of a concrete road is 15 years or more, depending on its quality. The life of an asphalt road is between five and seven years. An asphalt road is also good for the tyres.
The MMRDA has already begun refurbishment of the Western Express Highway (WEH) at a cost of Rs 100 crore. The roads here are uneven. They also have poor signage and lack crash barriers and low visibility, which leads to accidents. Besides this, the MMRDA is also planning plant saplings on the median.
The MMRDA’s urban design cell has launched the urban beautification landscaping project. Under this, 6-km-long stretch from Mahim causeway to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport will be beautified. Work on the Metro line, widening of the subway and improvement of roads is already causing traffic snarls on the WEH.
