Rains in 10 days, but Mumbai’s Western Express Highway, Eastern Express Highway not ready

Mumbai city news: The ban on quarrying in Thane has made it difficult for contractors to get material for construction

A pothole-free ride for Mumbai motorists could be a distant dream as the pre-monsoon road repair work on the Western Express Highway (WEH) and Eastern Express Highway (EEH) is yet to commence.

MMRDA officials said they will tweak the bid conditions to attract road contractors to carry out pre-monsoon repairs. (HT File Photo)

With the monsoon just 10 days away, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has failed to attract contractors to repair damaged stretches on the WEH and EEH.

MMRDA officials said the ban on the quarries in Thane has resulted in a severe shortage of construction material and this is why contractors are not coming forward. “After the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned quarrying activities in Thane, there has been a shortage of construction material. We have not got a response from contractors for a few stretches on both highways. The contractors have to fetch material from far-flung areas such as Raigad or Palghar, which escalates the cost,” said a senior MMRDA official.

However, MMRDA officials said they will tweak the bid conditions to attract road contractors to carry out pre-monsoon repairs. “The desilting of nullahs has started, and the repair work hardly takes six to seven days. We are confident that we will get contractors and the work will be completed on time,” an official added.

After the NGT ban on March 30, more than 70 quarries were shut, which affected the civic body’s construction and repair work.