Let road repairs not be just lip service

Milan subway

Motorists travelling on the arterial Western Express Highway (WEH) from Mahim to Andheri will soon find pothole-free roads as MMRDA is planning to spend Rs 50 crore for repair, resurfacing and maintenance work.

The MMRDA has also invited tenders for improvement to the main carriageway, slip lane, service road and flyover by bituminous treatment from Mahim junction to Teachers' Colony subway on WEH. Tenders have also been called for similar repair works from Teachers' Colony subway to Milan Subway and from Milan Subway to Andheri-Kurla junction.

According to a report, the bidder who gets the contract will have to complete the work and look after the maintenance of the same for a period of 11 months. The total amount of tender for the work on these three stretches is worth over Rs 53 crore.

While repairs will be taken up now that the monsoon is over, tenders, repairs, maintenance mean little if roads are going to go back to what they were.

This is taxpayers' money being paid for infra, it has to be worth it. The work must be of top quality. It has to be designed for the wear and tear of Mumbai roads which is very heavy, given the amount of traffic in the city and load bearing vehicles. It also has to be repaired to withstand the vagaries of the weather. This year, the city had heavy rain right till end October.

Giving excuses for infra that falls apart just months after it is made is a pointer to shoddy, bad-quality work. Buildings and bridges that the British built here survive long after contemporary buildings and bridges have given way. Do not waste people's money and take them for granted. Spend wisely, well, hold people accountable and make every paisa count.

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