Concreting of roads to roll but sans roadblocks

Concreting work will be executed in phases such that an entire road is not closed off all at once, according to a senior BMC official

MUMBAI: As post-monsoon road concretisation continues to roll, the civic administration has decided to make sure it does not obstruct vehicular access and cause roadblocks. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to change its strategy as it has been the target of much anger after the concreting of roads previously caused major roadblocks for the better part of the year.

A section of a road in the busy Kalbadevi area being concretised. While the road is not entirely closed, traffic logjams continue. (Pic by Nimish Malde)

Concreting work will be executed in phases such that an entire road is not closed off all at once, according to a senior BMC official.

As of now, the BMC has completed 53.5% of its concretisation project, having completed 198.15 km of road stretches; 175.09 km has been partially concretised and work on another 189.85 km is yet to be taken up.

The road concretisation plan got underway in 2023, an initiative aimed at making Mumbai pothole-free. The BMC had said in September that it aims to complete phase 1 by May 2026 and phase 2 by May 2027.

Mushtaq Ansari, founder of Pothole Warriors, which works on road safety, said, “For instance, this means that while the concretisation of LJ Cross Road No 1 and 2 at Mahim is underway, the road continues to be accessible. Although traffic is slow moving, it is beneficial.”

Things are not going to plan everywhere. Nimish Malde, a resident of Wadala, who regularly tweets about civic issues on his Twitter handle @MaldeNimish, said: “Just the other day, I witnessed road work blocking traffic on the busy Kalbadevi road from the JJ Hospital junction entry point into Pydhonie, right till the Metro junction. The roads being narrow and double parking adds to the problem.”

He says he is not sure how concretising roads will resolve more pressing problems, “Once the road is ready, its regular problems will return. Why concretise all roads in Mumbai? Important roads like the Bandra Worli Sea Link and even the airport road are paved with asphalt and they have served well.”