Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited sites in Raigad district on Monday to review the ongoing work on the Mumbai-Goa Highway in preparation for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
Shinde assured that advanced technology is being used to repair potholes and damaged stretches of the highway, aiming to reduce travel disruptions for people heading to their villages in the coastal districts for the festival.
“We have implemented four types of advanced technology to address the issues on the highway,” Shinde said. “This will help minimise inconvenience for travellers.”
Read Also | Maharashtra Traders' Bandh on August 27: CM Shinde Assures Support for Traders' Demands
He noted that officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), and PWD have conducted thorough studies and developed effective solutions. Shinde also mentioned that Union Minister for Highways Nitin Gadkari had shown strong interest in the project and provided loans to contractors, but some of them failed to complete the work, leading to the current situation.
“Contractors who have built substandard roads will face action,” Shinde said.
While the highway section from Ratnagiri to Goa is operational, certain stretches in Raigad are still under construction.
The Mumbai-Goa route is a vital corridor for many city dwellers travelling to their ancestral homes in Konkan for the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival, making the state of the road a significant concern for travellers and bus operators.