BMC Leader of Opposition Kishori Pednekar inspecting the project with the Opposition corporators. Photo: Special Arrangement
Mumbai’s civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), once again found itself in the middle of controversy over the poor quality of the Mrinaltai Gore flyover extension in Mumbai’s Goregaon. The Opposition criticised BJP Mayor Ritu Tawade on Tuesday (June 9, 2026), demanding an independent inquiry into the ₹248 crore project.
The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in BMC, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Kishori Pednekar, along with the corporators, visited the flyover, raising concerns around the quality and cost of the road, demanding an independent inquiry.
“This is an essential flyover built with the tax money of the public. The inquiry must be into the increased cost and poor work of the bridge,” said Ms. Pednekar, calling Ritu Tawade’s inspection tour a pure stunt and gimmick.
A day after the flyover’s inauguration on Saturday (June 6, 2026), the motorist complained of poor quality as the patches and uneven stretches appeared in the road. The commuters took to social media, pointing out the poor quality of its road surface.
“The project should be quality inspected by an independent third party. Core Test, UPV Test and Rebound Hammer Test should be conducted immediately to check the quality of concrete. Also, a trial pit should be taken on the approach road to check the thickness and quality of various layers, and the report should be made public,” Ms. Pednekar added.
The length of the new arm is 750 mt and part of Mrinaltai Gore Flyover in Goregaon, Mumbai, an east–west connector linking the Ram Mandir area, SV Road, Link Road and the Western Express Highway corridor. The flyover extension was constructed to ease traffic congestion between Goregaon East and West and opened on June 6, eight years after it was commissioned. The contract for expansion of the flyover was given in December 2018 at an estimated cost of about ₹170 crore; on completion, the cost rose to 248 crore, 45% more compared to the original estimate.
After the controversy broke, the BMC clarified that the joints on the flyover extension were part of the technical construction process. The statement released by BMC’s Bridges Department stated, “It is the nature of mastic asphalt that it looks patchy and rough immediately after laying, especially where it’s done manually. However, as more and more vehicles ply on the road, the surface starts getting even and tidy,” the statement read.
The corporators from the Opposition alliance demanded that if negligence is found, strict action should be taken against the relevant contractors, consultants and engineers. Nationalistic Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) national spokesperson Anish Gawande has also written to Ashwini Bhide, the BMC commissioner, demanding that the surface-quality test data be released.
Two years ago, BMC got caught in a similar controversy where the commuter complained that there was a mismatch in height and alignment to connect the newly opened Gokhale bridge with the C.D. Barfiwala Flyover in Mumbai’s Andheri.
Published – June 10, 2026 11:13 am IST
