Shinde holds meeting with NHAI, says will visit highways after Aug 10

During the meeting, Shinde told NHAI officials that they must work in coordination with the respective district administration and the police to repair roads and clear traffic jams

Mumbai: Less than a week after HT highlighted the pitiable condition of the Mumbai-Nashik, Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Mumbai-Goa highways, chief minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday held two meetings with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and issued instructions regarding their repair and maintenance. The chief minister said he would personally visit the highways after August 10 to review the progress.

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During the meeting, Shinde told NHAI officials that they must work in coordination with the respective district administration and the police to repair roads and clear traffic jams. He also asked officials to ensure that slip roads or diversions in patches where work is underway are of good quality, conforming with Indian Road Congress norms.

Shinde, who was earlier guardian minister for Thane district, is well-versed with problems on the Mumbai-Nashik highway, especially around the Bhiwandi bypass, which is being widened to accommodate eight lanes, up from the current four lanes. The area also comes under the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat, from where his son was elected as MP in the recently held polls.

Anshumali Shrivastava, chief engineer with NHAI, assured a quick resolution of problems pertaining to the Mumbai-Nashik highway, saying the authority had now taken over the work of repair and maintenance.

“A bridge near Asangaon on the Mumbai-Nashik highway was demolished by the Railways and the reconstruction was delayed. This was causing huge traffic jams spread across kilometres. Finally, the NHAI has taken over the work,’’ said Shrivastava.

The engineer also claimed that maintenance work on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway was delayed as some work for the Surya water pipeline was pending.