Mumbai’s two busiest arterial roads the Western and Eastern Express Highways are set for targeted surface upgrades as the city administration rolls out a Rs 1.29 billion intervention aimed at improving ride quality, safety, and durability. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has invited bids for specialised resurfacing works using microsurfacing technology, signalling a shift towards faster and more sustainable road maintenance practices in India’s most congested urban corridor.
Civic officials said the two tenders, issued separately for the western and eastern corridors, focus on preventive maintenance rather than full-scale reconstruction. Microsurfacing is a thin, polymer-modified layer applied to worn road surfaces, designed to restore skid resistance, seal cracks, and extend pavement life with minimal disruption to traffic. Unlike conventional resurfacing, the process requires less material, lower energy use, and significantly shorter curing times. An official familiar with the project noted that the method has been selected to balance durability with the realities of Mumbai’s dense traffic volumes. “These express highways cannot afford long shutdowns. Microsurfacing allows us to upgrade surfaces quickly while reducing inconvenience to commuters,” the official said. Urban mobility experts say the move reflects a broader evolution in how Indian cities approach road management. Instead of reactive repairs after visible deterioration, municipal bodies are increasingly adopting lifecycle-based maintenance to reduce long-term costs and emissions. “Timely surface renewal prevents deeper structural damage, which is both expensive and environmentally intensive to fix later,” an infrastructure planner explained.
The Western and Eastern Express Highways together carry millions of daily commuters, freight vehicles, and public transport services, acting as economic lifelines connecting residential suburbs with commercial districts. Poor surface conditions not only slow traffic but also increase vehicle emissions, fuel consumption, and accident risks making road quality a public health and climate issue as much as a transport one. Microsurfacing is particularly suited to Mumbai’s monsoon-prone climate, as it improves water resistance and reduces surface deformation caused by heavy rainfall. Officials said the tenders also include strict performance benchmarks, ensuring contractors are accountable for surface longevity and safety outcomes. While the investment may appear modest relative to the scale of Mumbai’s infrastructure needs, transport analysts argue that targeted interventions on high-impact corridors deliver outsized benefits. “Improving express highways improves bus reliability, logistics efficiency, and daily commuting conditions for lakhs of citizens,” said an urban transport specialist.
As Mumbai grapples with climate resilience, road safety, and equity in mobility access, such interventions underline the importance of smart engineering choices. If implemented effectively, the project could serve as a replicable model for sustainable road upkeep across Indian cities where maintaining what already exists is increasingly as critical as building anew.
Also Read: India Motilal Oswal Starts ABREL Coverage Backing 33Pc Upside Potential
Mumbai BMC Issues Rs 1.29 Billion Tenders To Upgrade Key Express Highways
