Gaps in fence, RCC walls allow animals & jaywalkers on Pune-Mumbai expressway

PUNE: The highway safety patrol (HSP) has begun sending a monthly report to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) on the number of illegal punctures and damage to the iron mesh and RCC compound walls as well as the Brifen ropes meant to prevent accidents on the Pune-Mumbai expressway.
The patrol has sought repairs to these punctures on priority so that animals do not stray on to the expressway, and local residents and jaywalkers stay off the high-speed lanes.
Recently, the patrol had spotted an injured buffalo lying on the expressway. Similarly, a buffalo was killed after it was hit by a speeding vehicle on the expressway at Khalapur.
In another incident, the carcass of a dog was found on the expressway. These incidents pose a huge risk to motorists especially at night, the officials said.
Last month, the patrol found 25 such punctures between Kiwale and Amrutanjan bridge along the Mumbai corridor and 15 on the Pune corridor.
“Animals or local villagers stray on to the expressway through these punctures. It is risky. Buffaloes walking on the expressway is recurring at Urse,” HSP superintendent of police Sanjay Jadhav said.
MSRDC engineer Rakesh Sonawane said repairs are continuous and they have acknowledged all communications from HSP.
“However, despite our efforts, local villagers snap the iron mesh or break the RCC compound walls. These punctures are used to enable cows and buffaloes to stray on to the expressway and feed on the grass in the median and on either sides of the lanes,” he added.
MSRDC has been urged to repair broken crash barriers after speeding vehicles ram into them. The crash barriers stop vehicles from falling into the ditches or valleys from the expressway.
Sonawane said, “There is no major problem between Khopoli and Panvel stretch of the expressway but there are several illegal punctures between Kiwale and Lonavla. At Urse, buffaloes come on to the expressway’s lanes to feed on the green patch between the Mumbai and Pune corridors, and the grass on either side of the expressway.”
He said their patrolling teams try to nab those breaking the compound walls and snapping the iron mesh compound but it leads to fights.
“We have requested the local police stations to file complaints against persons who create punctures,” he said.
They have a plan to mend all compound walls and broken iron mesh compounds along with the expressway and will install crash barriers in three months, he said.