Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Traffic continues to ply the Padegaon-Mitmita Road even as construction work is underway. However, necessary safety measures, such as warning signs, caution tape and barricades around the work zone, are missing. As a result, motorists are forced to travel amid safety concerns. At night, potholes on the road are not clearly visible, increasing the risk of accidents. Meanwhile, heavy machinery, including Poclain excavators and Hyva dump trucks, operates in the area throughout the day. Consequently, the safety of motorists has become a major concern.
To ease traffic congestion on the Padegaon-Mitmita Road, an 8.5-km-long, six-lane road has been proposed. A fund of ₹200 crore has been sanctioned for the project, and work has already commenced. Officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) have finalised the proposal submitted by the agency PEDCO for a road with a width of 60 metres. However, ensuring traffic safety during construction is equally important, and the necessary precautions appear to be lacking.
The proposed road will have three-lane cement concrete carriageways, each 11.5 metres wide, on both sides. Streetlights will be installed in the median at intervals of 50 metres, with a total of 200 lights planned. There is also a proposal to construct a new 32-foot-high entrance gate at Sharanapur Phata, replacing the existing iron gate.
The roadwork is being carried out under the supervision of the PWD's City Engineer's office and has been entrusted to GNI Infrastructure Limited. Potholes at various locations along the road are difficult for motorists to spot at night. Heavy machinery, including Poclain excavators and Hyva dump trucks, also operates in the area throughout the day. In the absence of signboards, caution tape and barricades at work sites, motorists may not be able to anticipate road hazards. A pothole or an active work zone appearing suddenly in their path could lead to an accident.
Sachin Mirdhe, Assistant Inspector with the Traffic Branch, said there was heavy vehicular movement in the area while roadwork was underway. He said warning signs and danger tape were necessary to ensure motorists' safety, adding that barricades were also essential.
PWD Executive Engineer Sheshrao Chavan said instructions had already been issued to install signboards and use caution tape around work sites. However, if any shortcomings were observed, the sites would be inspected and immediate directions issued to the contractor concerned.
