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Brace for major traffic jams from next month; BMC set to repair 808 city roads
Expect traffic jams and diversions as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to start repair work on 808 city roads measuring around 274 km
Expect traffic diversions and blockages as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to start repair work on 808 city roads measuring around 274 km. The civic body is expected to finalise bids worth ₹2,200 crore by the end of this month, paving the way for the work to start.
According to BMC officials, the proposed repair work across the city, western and eastern suburbs include a total of 808 roads, both major and minor. Some of them include Cumbala Hill Lane, Kamathipura 10th Lane in South Mumbai, Kamraj Nagar Road, Ramabai Road in Eastern suburbs and Military Camp junction, Kalina Navpada Road, Bandra East, Shastri Nagar Road, Santacruz East Aarey Colony Road in Western suburbs.
Under the repair, maintenance and strengthening work, the BMC is converting the surface of all city roads from paver block/ asphalt to cement and concrete. The contractor that will be appointed for repair works will be responsible for clearance from the Mumbai Traffic Police and will have to manage traffic, including installing safety barricades during the construction phase.
The construction period for all the 808 roads in the city varies from road to road and ranges from a year to two years, depending on the challenges at the construction site.
According to sources from the BMC, it has received bids that are 15-20% below the estimates despite re-tendering the number of roads. On September 13, Additional Municipal Commissioner P Velrasu in its letter had sought justification from the deputy municipal commissioner of infrastructure (BMC) on how the quality will be maintained amid the contractors quoting below 30% of the estimated cost. Post this, the BMC had re-floated all the bids citing there would be quality concerns.
The last date for submitting re-floated tenders was earlier this month, and the BMC is now scrutinising the bids it received. A BMC official said, “The bids are still being scrutinised but it looks that they are 15-20 per cent lower than the estimates. The final call will be taken by the senior officials. We may be in a position to submit the proposals to the standing committee for approval by month end.”
P Velrasu, Additional Municipal Commissioner of the BMC said, “We are expecting to table the proposals in the standing committee in the coming days and post that approval, the repair work may start from next month.”
