Due to the ongoing work, potholes have emerged due to rains in Mumbai, which are causing traffic snarls near Bhiwandi and Thane city. (File: PTI)
It will take another year to complete the widening of Mumbai-Nashik highway, but CM Eknath Shinde has asked the officials to finish off the work as soon as possible as potholes and
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered to expedite work on the 8-lane Mumbai-Nasik Highway after many opposition leaders tried to corner the state government during the assembly session over the highway infrastructural problems.
According to the state government, only 30% work on the widening of the highway was completed till last week. It will take another year to finish it but the CM has asked the officials to expedite the work due to the monsoon season, which makes tough for commuters to cross the 15-minute distance in more than 30 minutes on this express way.
Due to the ongoing work, potholes have emerged due to rains in Mumbai, which are causing traffic snarls near Bhiwandi and Thane city.
Shinde recently visited the Mumbai-Nashik highway and ordered the traffic officials to make it compulsory for heavy vehicles to move from left lane so that small vehicles don’t get stuck. He also asked the officials to find out if there was a possibility to make temporary parking space along the highway where heavy vehicles could be parked for a few hours till the time traffic movement gets smooth on the highway.
Shinde also held a review meeting and further ordered to remove the shops, which have become obstacles in the road widening project. He instructed the officials that the space, which will get created after removing the small hotels or shops could be utilised as temporary parking space for heavy vehicles.
The issue came to light when MLC Satyajeet Tambe shared his ordeal of travelling from Bhiwandi to Kalyan, which took over three hours than the ideal 30 minutes, in order to reach Mumbai. Tambe had to ultimately take a local train to reach Mumbai to attend the Legislative Council.
CM Shinde, who has received a lot of complaints about the potholes on several roads of Mumbai, has instructed BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal to immediately take action, clean the spots causing flooding and water logging in the city, especially near the railway stations.
