Less than a day after the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation restored a damaged portion of the Kadbi Chowk-Golibar Chowk road, the stretch caved in again, drawing sharp criticism from commuters and residents.
The affected section is located beneath the under-construction 2.82-km railway overbridge (ROB), a Rs 146-crore project that has been under execution since July 2021.
Residents said the road was repaired on Saturday night, only for deep depressions to appear by Sunday morning. They alleged that substandard work had transformed the busy stretch into a serious safety hazard. A local resident who recorded the damaged road claimed that a two-wheeler rider fell after losing control while passing over the newly repaired section.
According to residents, the contractor failed to properly compact the excavated area before resurfacing it with asphalt, resulting in the road sinking within hours of the repairs. “Riding on this stretch has become dangerous. Women, senior citizens and two-wheeler riders are particularly vulnerable. If the road has given way without rainfall, the situation during heavy rains can only worsen,” a resident said.
Rejecting allegations of poor-quality work, an MRIDC official maintained that the repairs were temporary in nature and intended only to ensure smooth traffic movement during the monsoon.
The official claimed the road surface was damaged after unidentified persons allegedly dug beneath it overnight to lay a sewer pipeline without permission. He said the damaged section would be repaired again within the next two to three days, while permanent restoration would be carried out after utility shifting and cable-crossing works are completed.
According to MRIDC, cement concrete road work near Bhola School has already been completed, while the remaining stretch will be upgraded after underground utility works are finished.
The agency aims to complete the Kadbi Chowk-Santra Market section by December and the entire ROB project by March 2027. Residents, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation and demanded an independent audit of the quality of work executed on the stretch.
Local corporator Wasim Khan said the stretch between Kadbi Chowk and Garib Nawaz Chowk in Mominpura has remained hazardous due to the ongoing ROB construction. He added that MRIDC officials have assured him that cement concrete road work on the corridor will commence shortly.
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