Motorists and commuters using the Sion-Panvel Road are likely to face traffic snarls for close to four months as the Public Works Department (PWD) has taken up concretisation work.
Kishor Patil, Executive Engineer, PWD said, “The work started on Saturday at Vashi and Kopra bridge near Kharghar. We are working on every patch on the road which needs concretisation. After these places, we will take up work at Turbhe on the 300-metre patch at Turbhe Junction, which connects Thane-Belapur Road with Sion-Panvel Highway. It would take close to two months for the work to finish at Kopra. The entire work on all the patches on Sion-Panvel Road might take close to four months.”
‘Slow pace of work’
Even though the traffic police have welcomed the move, officials are upset over the PWD’s pace of work. A traffic official said, “The work has been finally taken up and we are glad the roads will be less prone to accidents owing to potholes. The work began after activists took to court. The PWD should be working on the road on a priority basis. The pace of work is very slow.”
The traffic official said that considering the importance of the road work and the problems commuters would face in the coming months, the PWD should consider working both during the day and night. He said, “The work happens just during the day time and by evening, the workers are gone. There are no signboards or radium stickers to alert commuters about the work.” The official also said that a board should be put up bearing the contact details of the PWD officials and the name of the contractor working on the road. He said, “In case of any untoward accident at the work site, like what happened at Mankhurd while removing the foot over bridge, people can call the police control room. We are answerable for such incidents, but the PWD officials or the contractors usually nowhere to be seen.”
The Kopra underpass has been closed for traffic movement, while the Mumbai-bound lane on the Kopra flyover has been shut partially. Only light motor vehicles are permitted to use the road. Praveen Pandey, Kharghar traffic inspector, said, “After the Mumbai-bound lane is ready, the Panvel lane will be concretised. As of now, light motor vehicles can access the single lane on the flyover and heavy vehicles can access the road below the flyover.”
At Vashi, the Pune lane after the toll naka near Vashi gao has been taken up for concretisation work. Once work at Turbhe junction is started, Pune-bound vehicles on the Thane-Belapur Road will be diverted through Turbhe-Uran Phata service road, before merging with Sion Panvel Highway. Commuters from Kopra will have to drive till Hiranandani Chowk to enter Sion-Panvel Road, and vice versa, till the Kopra underpass is shut.
‘Undue delay’
Mahesh Shinde, a Kharghar resident, said, “The route that took hardly fifteen minutes to enter Kopra village, now takes more than an hour due to the traffic snarls on the highway. I hope the work is finished soon and once its done, the road stays the same even during the monsoon.”
