Just a couple of months after being concreted, a stretch on the Mumbai-Nashik highway near Bhiwandi has already started developing cracks. Motorists have also been complaining about potholes on the arterial stretch. There are several spots where road widening and bridge construction work are in progress between Thane and the Padgha toll plaza, leading to heavy traffic congestion during morning and evening peak hours. On July 10, a Thane resident named Sneha whose X handle is QueenofThane posted pictures of the stretches that had developed cracks along with the message, “That`s Mumbai Nashik Highway, recently concretised and now road repairing has begun! @NHAI_Official @CMOMaharashtra #Thane #mumbai.”

Sneha, who has been consistently highlighting the terrible condition of the road, told mid-day, “The road from Majiwada Naka to Saket bridge is becoming a hotspot of traffic congestion due to potholes. Many spots have damaged concrete roads while some parts still have old tar roads. The stretch from Majiwada to Padgha has potholes at regular intervals. The contractor has been using substandard material while the work has been going on at a snail`s pace for the past one and a half years. The National Highways Authority of India and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation are ignoring the stretch.”