MLC Satyajeet Tambe, has questioned about the quality of the Samruddhi highway, which recently completed one year. He pointed out the increased number of accidents occurring on this route.
According to the available data, the highway recorded 1,282 accidents over the last one year, resulting in which 135 people lost their lives. Tambe said that the highway’s quality is “not uniform” and this could be a major reason for accidents. He explained that the work was divided into 14 phases between Nagpur and Ghoti, with 14 different contractors doing the job. As a result, there is a significant variation in the quality of the work. Tambe pointed out that cars move smoothly in certain sections, but in some phases, they almost seem to lift off the ground. This inconsistency is a major reason why accidents occur on the highway. The question is, will the government try to standardise the quality of the highway and whether they will put a patch-like coating on the entire road that will even it out?” asked Tambe.
He also said the police and RTO officials sometimes surprise drivers by suddenly appearing in front of their vehicles. “In order to catch drivers flouting rules, they suddenly appear from behind trees or diversions and turns, thereby startling drivers. Due to this, the driver either puts sudden brakes or accelerates further out of fear. This leads to many accidents. Are they on a prowl to hunt violators?” he said. Responding to this concern, State Excise Minister Shambhuraj Desai assured to tell the Road Development Corporation to check the road’s quality. He also mentioned that he would instruct the highway police superintendent and transport commissioner to make sure the police are visible to drivers and don’t suddenly appear in front of them. Tambe also raised concerns about the increase in robbery cases on the highway. He explained that even though the highway is big (701 kilometers with six lanes), it goes through 10 districts and areas where people live. As a result, the highway is deserted due to which robbery are happening often. Tambe asked what measures will government take to solve this. In response, Desai said they will tell the highway police to patrol that part of the highway more.
Samruddhi Mahamarg, officially known as Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, is a 701- km stretch connecting Mumbai and Nagpur. The country’s second-longest expressway is expected to reduce the travel time between Nagpur and Mumbai to eight hours from 16 once it is fully operational. A total of 600 km of the stretch has been opened for public use in two phases. The first phase of 520 km, between Nagpur and Shirdi, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2022, while the second phase, between Shirdi and Bharvir, was inaugurated in May by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Work is underway on the stretch between Bharvir in Igatpuri and Mumbai.
Series of Accidents :
Two major accidents have caused 37 deaths on the stretch. In one, a private AC sleeper bus caught fire after an intoxicated driver lost control in July. In another incident on October 15, a Tempo Traveller crashed into a truck from behind, causing the death of 12 people and injuring 23 others.
On August 1 this year, 20 workers, including engineers and supervisors, were crushed to death and three others injured after a crane collapsed on a bridge slab during the construction of the third phase of the expressway in Thane district.
On May 24, four members of two families from Surat died, while another member sustained injuries, when their car met with an accident on the Jaipur-Siwar patch in rural Aurangabad early morning. Preliminary probe indicated highway hypnosis as the cause.
On May 29, three people were killed after a car rammed a road divider and caught fire in Buldhana. One person was flung out of the vehicle and died of serious injuries, while two others got trapped in the car and were charred to death.