MMRDA gives five-day deadline to contractor to fix damaged Atal Setu road surface

The decision came a day after the contractor was fined ₹1 crore for “minor surface distress” on the 21.8-km sea link, which was inaugurated in January 2024 at a cost of ₹17,840 crore. The matter was discussed in a review meeting chaired by additional metropolitan commissioner Vikram Kumar

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has directed the Tata Projects–Daewoo joint venture to carry out temporary corrective measures within five days to fix the road surface of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri–Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, popularly known as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL). Failure to comply will invite further action, officials said on Friday.

MMRDA gives five-day deadline to contractor to fix damaged Atal Setu road surface

The decision came a day after the contractor was fined ₹1 crore for “minor surface distress” on the 21.8-km sea link, which was inaugurated in January 2024 at a cost of ₹17,840 crore. The matter was discussed in a review meeting chaired by additional metropolitan commissioner Vikram Kumar.

To ensure long-term durability, MMRDA has also extended the project’s defect liability period by one year — from January 2026 to January 2027.

According to officials, the problem is most visible on a 2-km stretch of the Navi Mumbai-bound carriageway. “There are multiple patches where the surface is damaged. It was decided that the entire stretch should be redone after the monsoon. The contractor will have to undertake permanent resurfacing with high-grade dense bituminous macadam and asphalt concrete layers for better riding comfort and durability,” an MMRDA official said.

The authority’s move follows the circulation of a viral video on Thursday that highlighted damaged portions of the sea link and criticised the quality of patchwork repairs. Social media users questioned the quality of construction, with one post stating, “If this patchwork is ‘world-class standard’ to you, then we don’t know which standard you are following. It rains in every nation, but we don’t see such pathetic work elsewhere.”

Responding on X, MMRDA said the surface distress had been observed near kilometre 11, 15 and 16 of the Navi Mumbai-bound carriageway. “This is largely due to exceptionally heavy rains and continuous traffic flow. Immediate remedial measures have already been initiated. Instead of repairing small spots, longer continuous stretches are being resurfaced with bitumen to maintain uniformity and avoid bumps. Parallelly, mastic asphalt patching is underway to keep the carriageway safe and serviceable under wet conditions,” the statement read.