Cable protectors installed to prevent accidents on ‘killer’ Palm Beach Road

NAVI MUMBAI: After covering the 9-km stretch of Palm Beach Road with crash barriers to reduce the number of accidents, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is securing it further by installing cable protectors or barriers.

A cable protector also known as a wire rope safety barrier is a type of roadside or median barrier consisting of steel wire ropes. It is installed at accidentprone spots to reduce chances of accidents.

The cable protectors are being put up at various spots between Karave and Belapur’s Sector 50 across a 3- km stretch of Palm Beach Road — an accident-prone zone — as part of the first phase.

“The work is likely to be completed soon. Depending on the feasibility, work will be planned,” said NMMC’s executive engineer Sanjay Desai.

To check the feasibility of cable protectors, the NMMC had conducted a test on the cable protectors.

It installed cable protectors along the 100-metre service road adjacent to Dr DY Patil Stadium at Nerul to check their feasibility in 2013.

“After conducted the trial then, we had to put the project on hold as we did not have sufficient funds,” said Desai.

These cable protectors will go a long way in averting major accidents and minimising the damage caused to humans and vehicles, said a traffic department official, adding, “It can also stop a speeding vehicle from bombarding into a tree and reduce the chances of a mishap.”

The NMMC had jointly conducted a survey with the Navi Mumbai traffic police and IIT Bombay in 2011-12 to draft measures to avert accidents along the road. “Based on the survey, various suggestions such as installing crash barriers, signals at few important points and cable protectors to ensure maximum possible safety to the motorists were made,” said Desai.

According to the study con ducted by IIT Bombay in 2011, most of the accidents on this road have been owing to driving beyond the permitted speed limits, putting the lives of motorists at risk.

“Initially, the speed limit was set at 80 km/hr on this six-lane road. But as the road does not face traffic snarls too often, many motorists crossed the speed limit, causing numerous fatal accidents. Subsequently, the speed limit on this road was set at 60 km/hr,” said an official from the traffic department, requesting anonymity.

Following this, 70% of the stretch was installed with crash barriers in 2013, while work on the remaining 30% was completed last year before the monsoon

Cable protectors put up between Karave and Belapur’s Sector 50 across a 3-km stretch of Palm Beach Road as part of the first phase of the project.