How 3 highways linking Mumbai to rest of India have turned into deathtraps
Pune's Roads Turn Deadly: 278 Fatalities in 271 Accidents This Year, Major Accident-Prone Areas Identified(Representational-pic)
The three national highways connecting Mumbai, India’s financial capital, to the rest of the country are in deplorable condition, turning them into deathtraps for commuters.
National highways are crucial for economic development, reducing travel time and ensuring efficient transport of goods and people. However, these 3 are turning into death traps. The Mumbai-Goa National Highway 66, for instance, has been under expansion since 2011, with the promise of a smooth, four-lane road reducing travel time by five hours.
Yet, 13 years later, the project remains incomplete, plagued by poor construction quality and severe deterioration during the monsoon. This highway, vital for goods transport from industrial areas like Panvel and Indapur, is riddled with potholes and prone to landslides, making it especially dangerous during festivals and weekends. Despite government promises to open the highway by December 2024, various sections remain under construction or in poor condition, causing significant delays and safety hazards.
Similarly, the Mumbai-Nashik highway, intended to facilitate a quick two-hour journey between the cities, remains in a deplorable state.
Travel times have ballooned to six to eight hours due to potholes, ongoing bridge construction, and underpass work. The road conditions are so poor that they lead to frequent vehicle damage and exhaustion among drivers. The promise of a ₹5,000 crore upgrade by the central government has yet to materialize effectively, with commuters facing constant traffic jams and dangerous driving conditions.
NH 48, linking Mumbai with Palghar, Vasai, and Virar, is another problematic stretch. Regular commuters report spending up to four hours on what should be a short drive, with traffic snarls exacerbated by medical emergencies. The poor road conditions have also severely impacted local businesses, with significant financial losses reported by small and medium enterprises in the area. Despite multiple complaints, little has been done to address the issues, and ongoing construction work further complicates the situation.
The root causes of these issues include mismanagement, poor construction quality, and lack of proper planning and coordination among various agencies. The highways are often left in an unfinished state, with potholes and waterlogging causing accidents and vehicle breakdowns. The government has cited reasons like heavy vehicle breakdowns, illegal parking, and encroachments for the delays but has not provided effective solutions.
Local residents and commuters have protested against the poor conditions, calling for urgent action to improve safety and reduce travel times. However, promises from authorities have yet to translate into tangible improvements. The current state of these highways not only endangers lives but also hampers economic growth and development, highlighting a critical need for better infrastructure management and accountability.
