Even as the wait is on for the commencement of remaining stretch between Igatpuri and Bhiwandi on the Hinduhrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Samruddhi Mahamarg (HBTMSM), the commuters have raised concerns about uneven ride between Shirdi and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. They say the condition of the road has become very bad and it is becoming very difficult to manoeuvre vehicles on the arterial stretch.
“I need to travel frequently to Nashik, Aurangabad and Nagpur. Since the HBTMSM began operational, I have been travelling through the expressway only as it saves my precious time. However, since the past few days the condition of the road has become bad. I was commuting from the road just last week and observed that the stretch between Shirdi and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar has gotten worse. My SUV was wobbling and it was difficult for me to control the vehicle,” said a resident, Niraj Wanikar who frequents between Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Nagpur.
He added that the speed at which vehicles pass through the expressway, it is necessary for the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to address the issue at the earliest before some untoward incident is reported.
When contacted, a senior MSRDC official agreed that there has been some discomfort for the commuters while driving through the stretch and added that efforts have already been initiated to address the issue.
“We have already started the work to lay 6-7 concrete panels of 3.5 metre each on the stretch through our contractor Megha Engineering and Constructions. There are no potholes on the stretch, but there were some cracks on the stretch which we repaired temporarily in the month of July,” the official said adding, “Now the work has been taken up to lay the concrete panels permanently so that the issue is resolved. We hope to complete the work at the earliest.”
In the month of July, MSRDC took up the work to replace expansion joints along the arterial highway after a 40-meter-long crack developed on the concrete panel at Fatiabad near Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar on the stretch going towards Mumbai. The work was carried on the bridge along the lane towards Mumbai at Pimpalkhuta in Buldhana district.
Currently, the HBTMSM is operational between Igatpuri and Nagpur. While the 520-km stretch between Nagpur and Shirdi was opened on December 11, 2022, the MSRDC is contemplating to open the remaining 78-km stretch between Igatpuri and Amne village in Thane by November this year. The MSRDC contemplates opening the remaining stretch of the highway by November this year. It has completed close to 90% of the work and what remains is the 1.8 km long Khardi bridge on Kasara ghat section that is causing a major challenge. The work on the 8-km-long tunnel has also been completed. The 701-km-long expressway is of six lanes, but it would narrow down to four lanes at Khardi bridge for the time being.
Having Greenfield alignment, the HBTMSM is designed for a speed of 150 kmph. The right of way (ROW) is 120m in the non-forest area and 90m in the forest area. With a central median of 15m, the expressway also has a paved shoulder of 2m apart from the earthen shoulder. Underpasses for wildlife and cattle crossing have been constructed adequately as also flyover/interchanges at major road crossings. The HBTMSM also has vehicular underpasses (VUPs) and pedestrian underpasses (PUPs) at every village/town and alignment that avoids passing through major towns.
