Just four-and-half years and Malad flyover in poor shape

The flyover at Malad junction on the Western Express Highway is in a poor condition and this is hampering the smooth flow of vehicles, defeating the purpose it was constructed for.The road overbridge is one of many on the highway built to turn the busy north-south route into a freeway and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which were responsible for the project, boasted as much.When the flyover was opened in September 2009, officials of these agencies said it would reduce travel time on the stretch by about 20 minutes, thus also conserving fuel.In the very first monsoon, within a few months of its opening, the road surface disintegrated in some places resulting in potholes. Stranger still, shoddy repairs led to wider damage. The neglect can be gauged by the desperate use of paver blocks to fill some of the craters.Four and a half years later, the flyover, which cost Rs25 crore, is in a mess and there appears to be little hope of improvement for motorists on this stretch.According to the contract signed by MMRDA, MSRDC and J Kumar, who built the flyover, the liability for maintenance rests with the contractor for five years."The condition of the flyover is so bad that every day, particularly during the morning hours, traffic heading towards the city is reduced to a crawl. But the authorities responsible have turned a blind eye towards this sorry state," said Amit Gala, a resident of Borivli.Dilip Kawathkar, MMRDA spokesperson, said the responsibility for the maintenance of the flyover was with the MSRDC. The official at MSRDC was not available for comment. Kamal Gupta of J Kumar, did not respond to queries on the matter.ateeq.shaikh@dnaindia.net