Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) has demanded that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) publicly release engineering quality test data for the newly opened Mrinaltai Gore Flyover Extension, amid controversy over its visibly uneven road surface.
In a letter addressed to Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide and Mayor Rita Tawde, NCP (SP) National Spokesperson Anish Gawande questioned the quality of construction of the 750-metre flyover extension, built at a cost of Rs 248 crore and opened to traffic on June 6.
The demand comes days after the BMC defended the flyover's patchy appearance, stating that the roughness was a characteristic of mastic asphalt surfacing and would improve with regular vehicular movement.
However, Gawande criticised the civic body's explanation, noting that the clarification was issued without the signature or name of any responsible officer.
"A statement concerning public money and public safety cannot be issued anonymously," he said.
Challenging the BMC's technical explanation, Gawande argued that mastic asphalt has been successfully used on major international bridges and can be laid with a smooth finish. He also pointed out that the civic body's own clarification acknowledged that roughness was more visible in portions where work was carried out manually, suggesting that workmanship, rather than the material itself, may be responsible.
The NCP (SP) leader further questioned the claim that the road surface would become smoother after vehicles begin using it regularly.
"If the surface improves only after traffic runs over it, the public is effectively being asked to carry out the final compaction that the contractor was paid to do," he stated.
Citing standards prescribed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Indian Roads Congress, Gawande said finished road surfaces are required to meet specific limits on unevenness and riding quality.
He urged the BMC to release all straightedge evenness readings, level tolerance records and roughness-index measurements for the flyover so that the public can verify whether the project complies with engineering standards.
Gawande also demanded that the BMC withdraw its unsigned clarification, disclose whether the flyover received mandatory engineering approval before opening, and clarify what action will be taken against the contractor beyond penalties already imposed for delays.
Copies of the letter have also been sent to the Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) and the Chief Engineer of the BMC.
This letter comes in a few days after videos surfaced online of uneven patches and poor construction of the newly inaugurated Mrinaltai Gore Extension Flyover. The BMC issued clarification that the visible joints are part of technical construction process of laying mastic asphalt and there is no impact on safety or quality. However, extra grit that is observed on the surface will be removed and the grit that is needed to ensure anti-skid surface will be rolled using light weight roller, the administration stated.
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