MSRDC makes Mumbai-Pune expressway monsoon ready

In order to prepare Mumbai-Pune expressway for the monsoon of 2016, work to ensure the road to be free from landslide is underway and 70 per cent of it is done.

On Wednesday, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) conducted four hour long partial block on the expressway to remove loose boulders.

"While work was being done, we found some loose boulders and had to be removed to ensure trouble-free travel on the expressway," said Radheshyam Mopalwar, managing director of MSRDC. The block was carried out between noon and evening, wherein traffic was diverted on old Mumbai-Pune highway.

This work was only for a day, there will not be any more traffic blocks. "Boulder catching nets would be put up in a month's time," added Mopalwar.

An estimate of Rs33 crore is being spent for landslide prevention work between Adoshi Tunnel and Khandala. The work to strengthen the rocks had begun in October.

The entire landslide mitigation job is scheduled for completion in next two months.

Last year, multiple landslide incidents had resulted in loss of life. Thereafter, an Italian firm Maccaferri was roped in for the works of securing rocks, rock bolting, shotcreting and installing pre-fabricated tunnel to hold back falling rocks.

According to sources, IRB Infrastructure Ltd (the toll collection firm) that is maintaining the Mumbai-Pune expressway should have had taken preventive maintenance work on landslides, but it wasn't taken up. Finally, the cost for the safety work is being borne by the MSRDC.