Wantgoodhighways? Braceforsnarls

MMRDA will resurface the western and eastern express highways to rid them of potholes, but after monsoons

Prepare yourself for long traffic jams on the Eastern Express Highway (EEH) and the Western Express Highway (WEH) as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) plans to resurface them after the monsoon to rid them of potholes.

The 26.2km WEH, which stretches from Dahisar toll naka to Bandra, and the 23.5km EEH, which stretches from Mulund toll naka to Sion, are two of the city’s main arterial roads.

The MMRDA, which recently got possession of the two highways, is planning to resurface them with stone mastic asphalt.

“We cannot finish resurfacing the two highways before the monsoon as there is very little time. After the rains, we will do it,”said Pravin Darade, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA.

Mastic asphalt is a durable surfacing material, suitable for the busiest roads.

Darade added that the MMRDA plans to remove all paver blocks along the two express highways.

However, with the construction of a Metro corridor on the WEH, motorists are already facing jams between Andheri and Dahisar.

MMRDA, which is implementing several metro rail corridors in the city, plans to start civil work on the Wadala-ghatkopar-thane-kasaravadavali (Metro-4) corridor after the monsoon – a portion of it passes through the EEH.

A senior MMRDA official, who did not wish to be named, said, that the work will be carried out in phases.

“We will carry out the resurfacing in phases and in conjunction with approvals from the Mumbai traffic police,” he said

He added, We do not want to inconvenience motorists. We are trying to improve the transport in the city.”

Commuters, meanwhile, criticised the city planners, saying they faced huge jams daily, despite traffic management on the WEH.

“I travel from Malad to Santacruz via WEH daily. It is an ordeal as sections of the highway are barricaded for metro work,” said Jaidev Raghunandan, a media professional.