MSRDC Tightens Oversight On Maharashtra Expressway Repairs After Safety Concerns

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is set for stricter monitoring of repair work on the 95 km Pune–Mumbai Expressway and the 701 km Samruddhi Mahamarg, following safety concerns raised by motorists, reported Times of India.

Contractors will now face tougher penalties for lapses, with mandatory barricading, signages and closer supervision on high-speed corridors.

The decision was taken at a review meeting after an incident near Daulatabad in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar went viral.

Videos circulated online showed sharp objects embedded in freshly asphalted patches, leading to multiple tyre punctures.

Police initially suspected nails, but MSRDC later clarified they were aluminium nozzles used in epoxy grouting.

The authority admitted the contractor had failed to follow adequate precautions, particularly traffic diversions, and confirmed a fine would be imposed.

“Contractors are bound by agreements to follow Indian Road Congress guidelines and MoRTH norms while carrying out repairs. Proper barricading, repeated signages, and vigilant supervision will now be ensured,” a MSRDC official was quoted as saying by ToI.

Another senior official explained that pressure grouting strengthens the base by injecting material through drilled holes to stabilise panels, a process that demands strict safety adherence.

MSRDC manages both the Pune–Mumbai Expressway, India’s first access-controlled highway, and the six-lane Samruddhi Mahamarg, designed for speeds of up to 120 kmph and expandable to eight lanes.

Connecting Nagpur to Mumbai, the Samruddhi corridor cuts across 10 districts and has rapidly become a vital logistics backbone for passenger and cargo traffic.

Officials said that given the scale and velocity of traffic, reinforcing safety during continuous maintenance is “a top priority.”

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