BMC budget makes way for new roads, bridges

From a mechanism to maintain the good quality of roads to building a utility corridor along the lanes, from preventing any unnecessary road digging work to constructing

From a mechanism to maintain the good quality of roads to building a utility corridor along the lanes, from preventing any unnecessary road digging work to constructing the missing links – the civic body in its budget for the year 2020-21 has attempted to improve its poor performance with regard to construction and maintenance of roads in the city.

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) allocated ₹2,400 crore for the roads and bridges department. There has been a 9% increase (₹1,600 crore) in the total budget allocation for roads and traffic department for this year. The allocation for the bridges department was also increased this year by 24% (₹799.65 crore).

To crack the whip on errant contractors who fail to maintain the roads after constructing them, the budget announced to rope in a ‘quality group’ to oversee the maintenance of the roads which are under the defect liability period (DLP) (period for contractor to maintain roads). The group will be selected through a ‘global competition, and payments to contractors will only be released after the group members validate the quality of the roads.

The budget also mentions a new feature – a dedicated utility corridor – as part of the road works. As a part of the plan, a dedicated corridor will be created to lay down utilities, such as water mains, sewer lines and storm water drains, so that roads need not be dug often.

This year, the civic body has proposed to improve the stretch of 289km of roads, of which 266 km will be of cement concrete. Along with this, the BMC has prepared a traffic signage plan on 200km-stretch of major roads through traffic consultants. A separate budget allocation of ₹50 crore for the overhaul of footpaths has also been made. BMC will also undertake repair works on prominent stretches, such as Princess Street, Nepean Sea Road, Kalbadevi Road, Tejpal Road and Makarand Ghanekar Marg in south Mumbai, and Shantilal Modi Road, Ankush Gawde Marg and Narayan Nagar Road in the suburbs.

The BMC has also identified eight missing links of 7.94-km, which will be constructed this year at a cost of ₹48 crore. The missing links were earmarked in the comprehensive mobility plan (CMP), designed to upgrade the transport system, along with improving the infrastructure of the city. Some of the major missing links are Mahim-Sion Link Road to Krishnan Menon Marg, Ahilya Bai Holkar Marg to Lotus Colony Road and GR Vasarkar Marg to western express highway.

Citizen activists have termed the development in the road department as the ‘need of the hour’, and have welcomed them.

A member of the NGO Nagar, Nayana Kathpalia, said, “This is a much-needed change, as on several occasions, contractors do not maintain roads after they have completed the work. It should be their duty to ensure that the roads are properly maintained. The decision to rope in a quality group to oversee maintenance is a good move.”

The BMC has not announced to construct any new bridges in the budget, but has increased the allocation to complete the existing bridge repair works and construction of prominent bridges declared earlier.

Some of the bridges planned for this year include the flyover to ease traffic at Juhu-Vile Parle Development (JVPD) scheme in Juhu at a cost of ₹150 crore and the extension of Balasaheb Thackeray flyover from western express highway to Poonam Nagar along Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR).