NMMC completes 80% concretisation of traffic chowks

Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has completed concretisation work at 70 major traffic chowks out of a total of 88 in an effort to reduce traffic congestion, especially during monsoons. The work has involved re-laying earlier asphalted roads around the chowks, at a cost of approximately INR27 crore ($3.6m). The work aims to ensure residents do not have to use potholed roads, which can cause significant wear and tear. The NMMC has 505 km of roads under its jurisdiction.

NAVI MUMBAI: Traffic congestion at major intersections of the city, especially during monsoons, could very well be a thing of the past as the Navi Mumbai Municipal corporation (NMMC) has completed concretisation work of 70 chowks in Navi Mumbai.

Navi Mumbai, India - June 20, 2023:Concretisation work complete by nmmc of traffic junction like seen at Vashi Blue diamond circle in Navi Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

There are a total of 88 major traffic junctions in the city.

“Commuting through Navi Mumbai roads during the monsoons shouldn’t be an issue as the civic administration has completed a major part of concretisation work of major traffic chowks of the city. Each ward engineer was entrusted to look into the work process and almost 80% work is complete,” said the city engineer Sanjay Desai.

The nature of work done included re-laying the earlier asphalted roads around the chowk. Since 2013, the civic administration has neem undertaking the task of relaying the asphalted roads with concrete. The Administration has incurred an expenditure of nearly ₹27 crore in the process.

“In response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in 2013 about poor condition of city roads, the NMMC had given an affidavit in the High Court stating its policy decision to concretise the road within NMMC jurisdiction. This was done to ensure that residents don’t have to suffer commuting through potholed roads. Traffic intersections face hximum wear and tear due to large volume of traffic movement,” said an executive engineer.

The NMMC has 505 kms of roads in its jurisdiction and to ensure they are pothole-free, the administration has given annual contract wherein the repair works are to be done on immediate basis for a period of three years.

The traffic chowks which are yet to be concretised include two in Belapur, four in Vashi, one in Turbhe and one in Airoli apart from 10 roads falling in the village areas of the corporation. “The concretisation work was undertaken in phases. It started out by concretising the roads and then the administration took up the work of resurfacing the chowks and now the decision to include the rural roads was taken,” said a senior official from the engineering department.

Post-monsoon, the administration intends to undertake concretisation of few major roads in Vashi, Koparkhairne and Belapur. “Presently 108 kms of roads are concretised and this includes 14 kms of Thane Belapur Road. The nine-km stretch of Palm Beach Road has been asphalted as there is no movement of heavy vehicles. Proposals are underway to concretise a few prime roads of the city like the road opposite to Konkan Bhavan in Belapur and some in Koparkhairne and Vashi,” said Desai.