The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway between the Versova bridge and the Virar junction has developed extensive potholes, cracked concrete panels and collapsed sections despite a concreting project that cost about Rs 600 crore two years ago, according to a report by Loksatta. The deterioration has renewed concerns about road safety on one of the principal routes connecting Mumbai, Thane, Vasai-Virar, Mira-Bhayandar, Palghar and Gujarat.
The highway passes through the eastern parts of Vasai and carries traffic linked to important industrial and commercial centres. Travellers had expected the two carriageways, towards Mumbai and Gujarat, to provide a smoother and safer journey after the National Highways Authority undertook concreting work. Instead, the road has again developed large potholes at several locations, the report said.
Loksatta reported that 81 travellers had died in accidents on the highway over an eight-month period. The supplied report does not provide a detailed breakdown of those fatalities or establish how many were directly linked to potholes or pavement failure. It does, however, describe the damaged road surface as a continuing hazard for motorists, particularly where potholes have formed across traffic lanes.
The damaged stretches identified in the report include Vasai Phata, Sassoonvghar, Maljipada near the railway flyover, Bapane Phata, Naigaon, Pelhar, Chinchoti and Virar. Several of these locations are important access points for local settlements and connections to the wider highway network, increasing the likelihood that road defects affect both through traffic and daily urban movement.
The report says the concrete road has developed large cracks at multiple points and has subsided in some places. A layer of asphalt applied over the concrete is also reported to have peeled away soon after the rains began. These failures have left motorists facing uneven surfaces and sudden obstacles on a corridor where vehicles travel between densely developed suburban areas and industrial zones.
The deterioration is significant because it has appeared only about two years after the road was rebuilt at substantial public cost. The condition described by Loksatta raises questions about construction quality, pavement design, drainage, maintenance responsibility and the inspection process applied after highway works are completed. The report, however, does not include an official response from the highway authority, details of the contractor or technical findings explaining the failures.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway is also a key inter-city route for freight, commercial traffic and passenger vehicles moving between Maharashtra and Gujarat. On such corridors, potholes and damaged panels can cause sudden braking, lane changes and loss of vehicle control, especially during rain or poor visibility. The supplied report does not provide traffic-volume data or a location-wise record of accidents.
Loksatta’s report identifies the Versova bridge-to-Virar junction stretch as requiring urgent attention, but it does not state whether a repair schedule, fresh quality audit or formal road-safety intervention has been announced. The next relevant development will be the highway authority’s response to the reported damage and the measures proposed for repairing the affected sections.
