During the monsoon, BMC repaired potholes using mastic asphalt, a material known to swell after drying and create raised patches. Following complaints from commuters, the civic body has now begun planning “milling,” a process that scrapes the top layer of these bumps to provide temporary relief
A patchy and uneven road surface near the King’s Circle flyover in Matunga East
Potholes repaired after the monsoon have left long stretches of the Eastern Express Highway and parts of Babasaheb Ambedkar Road and Laxmibai Kelkar Road (below the Sion and King’s Circle flyovers) uneven and patchy, making for bumpy and unsafe rides. The affected span runs from Everard Nagar to Matunga Circle. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the only permanent fix now is full resurfacing of these bridges and road sections.
During the monsoon, BMC repaired potholes using mastic asphalt, a material known to swell after drying and create raised patches. Following complaints from commuters, the civic body has now begun planning “milling,” a process that scrapes the top layer of these bumps to provide temporary relief. A mid-day spot check at Everard Nagar, the Sion-Chunabhatti Flyover, Sion Hospital Flyover, and Shri Nanalal D Mehta Flyover (King’s Circle) revealed square-shaped mastic patches across the road, causing jolting rides, particularly for two-wheeler riders.
A damaged and bumpy section of the Sion flyover. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
A senior civic official said, “The BMC used mastic asphalt to repair potholes during the monsoon. This has a tendency to create a small 'mound'. We are now taking up milling to scrape off the top surface. In many places, commuters may notice a slightly scratchy surface. However, the only way to ensure a perfectly smooth ride is to resurface the bridges and roads.”
How potholes were fixed
Earlier this year, BMC deputed 227 road engineers, one for each city ward, to identify and repair potholes within their 15-km zones. They were required to fill potholes within 48 hours of detection or complaint, using square-cut mastic asphalt repairs.
Citizen reactions
Zoru Bhathena, a Mumbai resident who recently raised the same issue outside Dadar railway station and engaged in several social media exchanges with the civic body until the matter was resolved and the potholes were levelled, said, “When a pothole is repaired, you have to get to the root of the problem. First, the area around the pothole must be cut evenly and then filled with mastic asphalt. When the filling is wet, it must be scraped and levelled or rolled over to ensure the surface is smooth and at the same level as the rest of the road. If this isn’t done, the patch will create a bump. Milling now will only create an even more uneven, scraped surface, which is dangerous for two-wheeler riders.”
Nikhil Desai, a resident of Matunga, said, “BMC should make all highways concrete. Smaller internal roads are being concreted, but highways are not, and that shouldn’t be the case. The bridges on the Eastern Express Highway are in terrible condition. Heavy vehicles continue to ply on this stretch despite restrictions, and even BMC’s own compactor vehicles use these bridges. When there’s gravel or loose stone on the road, repeated movement of heavy vehicles will damage the surface. The traffic police also need to be held accountable for not enforcing these rules.”
Crater information from across city
BMC pothole dashboard data (as of November 16)
Citywide:
Total pothole complaints
19,660
Resolved
19,503
F North ward:
Total pothole complaints
613
Resolved
596
Complaints in November: 75
Pending: 17
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
