The R M Bhattad flyover in Borivali (West), inaugurated last week by environment minister Aaditya Thackeray, was seen damaged within a week of use, with bits of gravel chipping off the road.
Citizens have taken up the issue on social media, posting messages about it. @Charkop green warrior posted a video and expressed apprehension saying if gravel is coming off so soon there will surely be potholes after some time.
However, the chief engineer from the bridges department said, “What you are seeing coming off from the road are antiskid layers. These will submerge into the roads after some time and the problem will fix itself within a week.”
On June 18, Shiv Sena and BJP workers created a ruckus during the inauguration ceremony of the flyover, with workers shouting slogans in support of their respective party leaders. The flyover, with two lanes on each side, is 937 metres long, connecting Link Road to the Western Express Highway.
It will help smooth the movement of traffic along Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Chowk, Kalpana Chawala Marg, Sai Baba Nagar, Rajendra Nagar and other areas in the vicinity.
It uses composite section and single pillar technology, and has an anti-skid layer on the surface to prevent the skidding of bikes.
A total of 13,347 tonnes of concrete, 2,900 tonnes of reinforcement steel and 4,186 tonnes of steel have been used to build the flyover, with a total project cost of Rs 173 crore.
