“This” is the key reason for potholes on Mumbai-Nashik highway
MLA Rais Shaikh from Bhiwandi East, insisted the government implement the toll waiver until the issues are resolved as proposed by Pawar at the earliest.
Date: August 5, 2024
After a survey of Mumbai-Nashik highway, state road development body revealed that the presence of warehouses in Bhiwandi and ‘uncontrolled’ heavy vehicle traffic using the stretch within Thane limits are primarily accountable for potholes and congestion on the route
This development came after an inspection of the Thane and Vadape stretch until late Friday, August 2, following a directive issued by the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to ease the commuting experience for those using the highway.
A team of high-ranking officials from the state road development body, MSRDC, Thane traffic department, and a few elected representatives conducted an on-site assessment of the stretch and devised a resolution to be executed in the forthcoming days.
An official, who was present at the survey, told TOI: “One paramount factor contributing to congestion on the highway is existence of numerous warehouses in the interior regions frequently accessed by heavy vehicles that often traverse at a sluggish pace and in an unregulated fashion over internal roads that are in a dilapidated state. This often leads to heavy truck traffic overflowing onto the Nashik highway, impacting other traffic and interfering with outbound traffic at Rajnoli and Mankoli junctions, leading to bottlenecks.”
Meanwhile, MSRDC vice-chairman and managing director Anil Gaikwad said: “We are deploying more traffic wardens at Rajnoli and Mankoli junctions to regulate traffic to and from the warehouses… Also, the Bhiwandi Nizampur civic body will be requested to improve road conditions connecting these godowns with highways… Also, we are setting up a control room to manage traffic.”
MLA Rais Shaikh from Bhiwandi East, insisted the government implement the toll waiver until the issues are resolved as proposed by Pawar at the earliest.The 23km Thane-Wadape segment of the highway that links Mumbai, Gujarat, Navi Mumbai and Nashik, north Maharashtra, sees at least around 1.5 lakh vehicles daily, including freight, private, and public transport buses.