Repair work on the badly damaged Ghodbunder Road in the Mira-Bhayandar area has been postponed after the traffic police refused permission for work during the Ganeshotsav period, citing the risk of severe congestion.
The Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation had sought permission to carry out repairs on September 10 and 11, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The work was scheduled to begin on Thursday and Friday but was deferred on Wednesday after the traffic department raised concerns about increased vehicle movement during the festival period.
Thousands of residents from Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar and Palghar are expected to use the Ghodbunder route while travelling towards Konkan for Ganeshotsav. The road also connects Thane city, Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar, Borivli and Palghar, making it an important regional link for commuters and festival traffic.
The postponement means travellers will continue to use a road that has deteriorated despite repair work carried out by the municipal corporation after a break in the monsoon. The Ghodbunder ghat section has also been repaired several times in the past. The repeated need for repairs has led to frustration among motorists, according to the report.
Officials cited traffic-management and technical concerns behind the decision. Prafull Wagh, police inspector with the Kashimira traffic division of the Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar police, said a fresh meeting would be held before a new date for the repair work is finalised.
The authorities have not announced a revised schedule for the work. Until a new date is decided, the damaged stretch will remain in use during a period when traffic volumes are expected to rise.
