Pothole-free monsoon drive on Mumbai-Goa highway remains a distant dream
Pothole-free monsoon drive on Mumbai-Goa highway remains a distant dream
Motorists dreaming of a smooth, pothole-free drive on the new Mumbai-Goa Highway (NH66) this monsoon are set for disappointment. Despite ongoing efforts and recent repairs, the highway is already marred by potholes, just days into the monsoon season.
Initially announced in 2011, NH66 was touted as a dream thoroughfare, promising a six-hour drive between Mumbai and Goa. However, the reality is a far cry from this vision, with extensive stretches of the highway, particularly the 84 km segment between Panvel and Indapur, plagued by potholes.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has been conducting patchwork repairs on the recently constructed RCC road at Vashi Naka in Raigad district. While the second phase of the four-lane highway nears completion with a deadline of December 2024, the first phase between Panvel and Indapur is still under maintenance. Four flyovers along this stretch remain unfinished.
Chaitanya Patil, an engineer and member of the Mumbai-Goa Highway Dhyeypurti Samitee (MGHDS), has been actively campaigning for better road conditions. “NHAI is busy reconstructing or maintaining roads that were concretized six months ago. Using social media and an email campaign, we are forcing the authorities to fill the potholes,” Patil said.
Patil joined MGHDS in 2015 after witnessing numerous accidents near his home in Kasu, a village along the highway. His efforts have resulted in more than 10 potholes being filled in the past month alone. One such spot near Indapur recorded five accidents in a single night on May 20.
The highway has several problematic areas, including a patch near Pandapur-Haveli with potholes approximately 1.5 feet deep and 4-5 cm in diameter. Commuters encounter multiple potholes every 200 to 300 meters. An old bridge near Kasu, recently concretized, already shows signs of leakage. Additionally, the highway lacks a proper drainage system, causing water to stagnate and impact nearby farmlands.
Activists are raising awareness among motorists about blind spots and areas of caution on the highway. “We are tired of travelling by bike on this road. Since childhood, I have dreamed of riding smoothly on the Mumbai-Goa highway, but that moment is yet to come,” said a photographer from Mumbai who travels to his native place six times a month. He now focuses on spreading awareness about hazardous spots on the highway.
The incomplete Mangaon bypass is another significant concern. “I saw the first pillar of the Mangaon bypass built in 2017. Now, in 2024, there is still no road constructed on those pillars. If the NHAI builds a road on those seven-year-old pillars, how can we expect quality from such constructions?” he added.
An NHAI official from Mumbai, speaking anonymously, admitted, “Last year, during the Ganesh festival, we applied a topping on the wet cement road, which has resulted in the need to reconstruct some sections now. In some parts of the zero phase, our work is still ongoing, leading to potholes in certain areas. Additionally, in some stretches, local residents have halted the work for the past 10 to 15 days.”
As the monsoon continues, the dream of a smooth drive on the Mumbai-Goa highway remains elusive, with motorists and local residents alike bearing the brunt of the poor road conditions.
