New bridge in Maharashtra becomes skidding zone, closed within hours of opening

India Today

10-07-2025

The Palava Bridge, located on the Kalyan-Shil Road, was opened to the public on July 4 in a low-profile event attended by MLA Rajesh More and select Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) workers.The bridge, which was built at a cost of approximately 40 crore, was shut down within two hours of its inauguration due to safety concerns, after multiple minor accidents were reported.advertisementAuthorities later reopened the bridge after applying fine gravel to improve road grip, but by then, opposition parties including the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had already taken the ruling faction to task.
Just a few days after the inauguration, the flyover, once promoted as a key solution to traffic congestion, is drawing sharp criticism from opposition and commuters, who now refer to it as a 'skidding zone' due to loose gravel, muddy patches, cement spills and unevenly laid tar.The newly inaugurated bridge has now become the epicentre of a political storm, with opposition parties lashing out at the ruling Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) over allegations of substandard construction and hasty inauguration.A video posted by former MNS MLA Pramod Ratan Patil, showing potholes and gravel washed away by rain, quickly went viral. Patil criticised the quality of the construction and questioned the decision to open an allegedly incomplete bridge.# ! # # #MMRDA @MMRDAOfficial https://t.co/yh6zl5XQF2 pic.twitter.com/f4LbSKugFm— Raju Patil ( () ) (@rajupatilmanase) July 4, 2025'The construction work of the Palava Bridge has been of extremely poor quality, and regarding this, I have demanded an inspection of the bridge's quality,' he said in his social media post. 'What's this nonsense, Gandabhai?'In response, the Shinde faction released its own video showing vehicles moving on the bridge and claimed it was in good condition.MLA Rajesh More defended the work and said, 'This bridge was built due to the efforts of MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde to relieve traffic on the Kalyan-Shil Road. We are opening it for vehicular movement and expect citizens to be happy. We want to tell the opposition, we don't just criticise via tweets, we inspect work on the ground and show the results.''The road had been temporarily shut due to slippery asphalt, but we immediately spread fine gravel. Opposition released a video showing a pothole, but even today after inspection, the road is perfectly fine and open to traffic. It seems like the opposition is just seeing imaginary potholes,' he added.Dipesh Pundlik Mhatre, leader of the Thackeray faction, demanded that criminal cases be filed against the officials and contractors involved. He also launched a sharp worded attack on X.'Several people were injured after falling on this bridge which was inaugurated on July 4. The road has deteriorated badly. I've submitted a memorandum to DCP Atul Zhende and demanded legal action against those who inaugurated the incomplete bridge and the contractors responsible for substandard work,' Mhatre said while talking to the media in Marathi.advertisementFurthermore, adding fuel to the fire, Pramod Ratan Patil also targeted Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for choosing to travel by helicopter from Thane to Kalyan, a distance of just 20 kilometers, during his Ashadhi Ekadashi visit."For a journey of just 20 kilometers, was a helicopter necessary? Had he used this bridge, he would have witnessed its poor condition firsthand. Once upon a time, he came to the ground for his loved ones' work, now it's time to come down and see the public's problems too," Patil questioned.The Palava Bridge has been under construction for eight years, causing severe traffic issues for daily commuters on Kalyan-Shil Road. The opposition has accused the government of inaugurating the bridge in a rush without ensuring it was fully completed and safe.- Ends
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