As much as the eight-lane highway from Chembur to Panvel has totally transformed the commute for lakhs of motorists, maintaining the highway has been a stiff challenge, and the incessant rains have only made it tougher.
Rising to the challenge, the contractor in charge of the highway have deployed special squads and drawn a detailed action plan for both short-term as well as permanent relief for the motorists.
"For immediate temporary relief, in terms of filling the potholes, effort is underway on war footing across the stretch. The entire work will be carried out within the next 6-10 days, depending on the weather condition," said a spokesperson for Sion Panvel Tollway Private Limited, the contractor for the highway.
Among the medium-term works that are slated for execution on the highway project are laying of mastic asphalt surfaces at Kamothe, Uran and Jui Creek — an area of more than 30,000 square metres. "This work is expected to be completed by October 10, which will bring much relief at the major intersections," the spokesperson said, adding that simultaneously core cutting work will be done at other locations to prepare reports on various parameters, following which work on completing the pending works will be done. Effectively, all the key junctions on Thane-Belapur Road, Chembur-Mankhurd Link Road, Kopra, Kharghar, Vashi, Kamothe, Taloja, Belapur and Uran will have smooth roads before Diwali in October-end. "We are confident that within three months, motorists will enjoy a world-class drive on Sion-Panvel highway," the spokesperson said.
Despite huge setback to the contractor in terms of revenue loss due to waiver of toll for cars, which comprise an overwhelming majority of the vehicles plying on the busy national highway, the contractor is braving the odds to maintain the road in good condition. On one hand the contractor has to service huge loans from institutions taken for developing the project, on the other it is suffering from the state government's decision to waive off toll on cars which has severely dented the revenue projections.
While the dispute over the compensation being given by the government to the contractor in lieu of the waiver is shuttling between the courts and Mantralaya, the contractor is doing all it can to ensure that the common man does not suffer.
