Pothole throws off biker, Mumbai sees huge snarls

MUMBAI: Potholes coupled with torrential downpour severely hit traffic and even left some motorists injured on Monday. The stretches most affected by potholes included Sahar Elevated Road, Western Express Highway at Mahindra flyover in Kandivli, Kherwadi bridge and Sion flyover, among others.
A journalist headed to work on his motorcycle along with his wife hit a pothole at the beginning of Mahindra flyover on Western Express Highway. The duo was thrown off and the journalist suffered deep cuts to both his arms and hands. “Rainwater that was descending from the flyover had accumulated in a pit at the bottom. We take the same route to work every day but hadn’t noticed the pit before. Gravel from the road entered my wound. It had to be removed and I was administered four sutures,” Hemal Master, the journalist, told TOI. His wife suffered minor bruises.

Severe congestion was reported on Sion flyover, Mulund toll naka, south-bound arm of Bahar bridge at Vile Parle, B Ambedkar Road and Tilak bridge. “There were massive snarls towards Sion near Matunga bridge. I could only cross a distance of 500 metres in two hours. It was exasperating,” said a media professional. Andheri subway had to be kept shut for traffic for a few hours as it was waterlogged. BMC personnel could be spotted manually draining out water from the waterlogged Khar subway.

Waterlogging was reported at King’s Circle, on Sathe bridge, Suman Nagar, Sonapur junction in Mulund, Kajupada in Kurla, Anand Nagar junction in Dahisar, Hindmata junction, the south-bound arm of Western Express Highway after Kalanagar bridge, outside National College in Bandra, Gandhi Market, Bharatmata junction, Sion to Lalbaug on B Ambedkar Road, among others.

“Due to waterlogging at Bandra railway colony on S V Road, traffic was closed on both bounds. North-bound traffic was diverted towards Turner Road and south-bound traffic was diverted from Khar traffic chowky,” said a traffic police official. “We posted additional personnel on the streets.”

Slow-moving traffic was reported throughout the day on Eastern and Western Express highways. The stretches between LBS Marg and JVLR besides Linking Road between Khar and Bandra were congested. An overturned auto hit traffic at Santacruz on Western Express Highway.