While the agency repaired the potholes that appeared on the newly repaired flyover after mid-day highlighted them, it says the police didn’t give enough time for the top tar surface to settle
The potholes on the Dindoshi flyover on the Western Express Highway have been filled, for now. However, a blame game has started between the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and the Traffic police department, with the former saying the latter didn’t grant enough time for the repair work – which resulted in them having to do a sub-optimal job.
While the MSRDC has filled up the potholes, authorities say that further rainfall might cause them to appear again, and that the final layer of road would only be laid after monsoon. Pic/Nimesh Dave
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The southbound stretch of the Dindoshi flyover was put under repairs after an IIT-Bombay experts panel found cracks on nine of its slabs. Even before the work actually started, MSRDC and the Traffic department had been at loggerheads while the agency wanted 45 days or so to carry out repair work, the police would only allow a 30-day period.
mid-day’s report on June 18
The impasse finally ended with MSRDC starting repair work on May 4 and completing it on May 31. However, the first rain spells caused potholes to form on the road (‘Say hello to potholes on ‘repaired’ Dindoshi flyover’, June 18).
This paper had observed more than ten on the stretch. The MSRDC has promptly blamed the Traffic cops for the disaster, saying the less-than-ideal period granted didn’t allow the top layer to settle properly, thereby causing potholes.
'Not our fault'
On Tuesday, traffic moved slowly on the bridge due to the cavities. Sources from the MSRDC told this newspaper that they had applied for permission to close off all three lanes in March 2014 which they finally received in May.
“We wanted to repair and re-lay the road on the bridge in a proper manner, so that motorists don’t have to face the problem during monsoon. We applied for permission with the Traffic police in March.
We got permission in May, and that too for a period of 30 days. We had to complete it in a hurry. That is the reason why the top layer did not settle properly, and potholes have appeared.”
Authorities did manage to patch up the potholes on Wednesday after this paper reported on them, but it is still a temporary fix further monsoons will still cause potholes again.
MSRDC’s Superintendent Engineer B N Ohol said, “As we had to complete repair work in a month, we had to give a temporary sacrificial layer on the top surface of the lanes that were repaired on the flyover.
As the surface did not get adequate time for settling, potholes have started occurring. Once the monsoon is over, the final layer will be laid so that motorists don’t have to drive through uneven roads.”
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