Brace for a bumpy ride to Pune

It may be a crucial road connecting the state capital and the cultural capital of Pune, but the Sion-Panvel highway certainly does not look it.

Scores take the road daily, only to go through a rough ride, largely due to poor maintenance.

While the highway’s overall pathetic state during monsoon — when crater-sized potholes dot the road — is common place, sloppy patchwork done post-rains on the 23.55-km stretch from Bhaba Atomic Research Centre to Kalamboli ensures a bumpy ride.

Stating that the problem becomes more chronic as one crosses Belapur, Chembur resident Jyoti Balasubramanian said, “Resurfacing of the road has not been done properly. The government seeks maintenance charges through tolls at various points.

But despite paying it, the road is not kept well.”

While the public works department, which looks after the Sion-Panvel highway, has maintained the highway well in Mumbai and Vashi, areas where residents do not complain over shabby conditions remain unattended, he complained.

A Vashi resident , BS Mahajan seconded Balasubramanian and said her experience of the poor roads dated back to 10 years. “In the past decade, the highway has not been looked after properly. For instance, the road near Vashigaon has been patched up in a poor manner,” she said.

When contacted, PWD executive engineer RK Javanjal assured that corrective measures will be taken, wherever needed.

“The road is being looked after by a private company, Sion-Panvel Tollways Private Limited on build-operate-transfer basis. However, given the public complaints, we will take immediate action in this regard,” Javanjal concluded.