BMC budget: Road and bridge depts bag huge share

Bridges across the city are under major and minor repairs as per the audit report. Representation pic

City roads and bridges have again received a huge share in BMC's annual budget at Rs 3,777 crore. This means that Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will have the provision to spend Rs 10.34 crore on roads, bridges and other traffic amenities every day. Both the road and bridge departments have spent over 80 per cent of the allotted amount so far in 2021-22.

As per the budget presented by BMC Commissioner I S Chahal, around 219.25 kms of road is proposed to be improved (206.72 km concrete and 12.53 km asphalt) in 2022-23 at a cost of Rs 2,200 crore. Prominent roads proposed for improvement are S V P Road, E Borges Road, Shrikant Hadkar Road in south Mumbai, Lallubhai Park and Lallubhai Shamaldas Road, Aarey Colony Road, I C Colony Road in western suburb, and Walji Laddha Road, Lake road in eastern suburbs. In 2021-22, Rs 1,900 crore was allotted to roads and work on 196.34 km was completed.

Bridges across the city are under major and minor repairs as per the audit report after the collapse of Himalaya foot overbridge and Andheri rail overbridge. Construction of three flyovers - one linking Juhu-Versova Road to C D Barfiwala Road at JVPD junction, one at Mith Chowki junction at Link Road, Malad, and an elevated road from Fisherman Colony on Senapati Bapat Marg to WEH - will be undertaken. A total of Rs 1,577 crore has been allotted to the department this year. Apart from this, the BMC has decided to allow private and government undertakings to install public electric vehicle charging stations in it Public Private Lots.

219.25
km of roads planned for improvement in 2022-23