Experts slam BMC over rough surface of Mrinaltai Gore flyover arm

The recently opened Mrinaltai Gore flyover extension in Goregaon, whose surface is severely pockmarked. PICS/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI

The newly opened arm of the Mrinaltai Gore flyover in Goregaon has come under scrutiny after motorists raised concerns over the quality of its road surface, pointing to patches and uneven stretches at several locations. The BMC, however, has maintained that there has been no compromise on the flyover's structural safety, stability, or overall quality.

To understand the possible reasons behind the condition of the road surface and assess the civic body's claims, mid-day spoke to Indian Road Congress member Giresh Arekar, independent civil engineer Biju Augustin, and transport expert Jagdeep Desai, who considered the civic body's claims and examined pictures of the road to point out that it appeared road was opened in a hurry.

When this reporter examined the flyover, uneven patches could be seen on its surface at multiple locations. Tyre marks were also noticed, which may have been caused by vehicles passing over the carriageway.

Political storm

Several politicians, including Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and Congress's Mumbai North Central MP Varsha Gaikwad, have criticised the BMC over the quality of the flyover arm. NCP-SP National Spokesperson Anish Gawande had also written a letter to Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide and Mayor Ritu Tawde demanding the disclosure of surface-quality test data.

BMC's clarifications

After motorists and politicians started raising questions over the quality of the road, the BMC on Sunday issued a statement, claiming that visible joints on the Mrinaltai Gore flyover extension were part of the technical construction process.

The BMC's bridges department, in a statement, had said that it had taken note of observations and comments made by citizens, elected representatives, and various stakeholders on social media regarding the apparent unevenness and patch-like appearance of portions of the road surface and that a 40 mm thick mastic asphalt wearing course - a durable, waterproof top layer - had been provided on the bridge carriageway.

"It is the nature of mastic asphalt that it looks patchy and rough immediately after laying, especially where it's done manually. However, as more and more vehicles ply on the road, the surface starts getting even and tidy," the statement read.

Voices

Girish Jaysing Arekar, council member, Indian Road Congress
‘A brand-new road surface showing patchiness and prominent tyre indentations within just 24-48 hours of opening points directly to execution flaws rather than standard ‘settling.' The work appears to have been done in a massive rush, and the final road layer does not look uniform at all. In road engineering, such immediate deterioration usually stems from three critical factors: substandard bitumen quality, failure to maintain uniform thickness, or rushing to open the bridge before the mastic asphalt has had its mandatory curing and cooling time. An independent third-party engineer must conduct an immediate physical inspection to audit the raw material quality and verify the structural integrity of the topping layer joints'.

Jagdeep Desai, architect, academician, and founder-chairman of the Forum for Improving Quality of Life in Mumbai
‘The BMC's explanation lacks credibility when glaring physical defects are staring us right in the face. We have no way of verifying if they actually followed engineering specifications or due process. Claiming that the bridge is structurally safe is just a classic diversion tactic to shift focus away from what is clearly a shoddy surface job. Like almost every civic project in Mumbai, this appears to have been left to unsupervised, low-paid daily labourers hired by a lowest-bid contractor. We saw the same script with the Coastal Road's leaks and cracks, the same ‘teething problems' excuse, the same ‘it will settle with use' narrative. It is the same old, lame excuse'

Biju Augustine, independent civil engineer
‘The videos and pictures of the newly opened extension tell a clear story of shoddy workmanship. The heavy patchiness and uneven surface make it obvious that the final layers were slapped together in a massive rush. Now that furious motorists have exposed the poor state of the road, the BMC is simply scrambling to save face with convenient clarifications. Mumbai's taxpayers deserve real accountability; the civic body's excuses cannot be accepted blindly. We need an immediate independent inspection and a thorough third-party audit'

Flyover extension facts

Length of arm
750M

Cost of project
Rs 248 cr

Day it was inaugurated
June 6, 2026

June 7
Day flyover extension was opened to motorists