Mumbai: With thousands of devotees expected to travel to Konkan for the upcoming Ganeshotsav, the Maharashtra government has decided to accelerate pending works on the Mumbai-Goa Highway instead of merely reviewing their progress.

Public Works Minister Shivendrasinhraje Bhosale has directed officials to ensure that the works on the flyovers at Kolad, Sangameshwar, Nivli and Lanja are visibly completed by August 31, so that traffic movement during the festival remains smooth and safe.

The minister issued the directions at a review meeting held at Mantralaya to assess the progress of the Mumbai-Goa Highway works. In line with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s instructions, Bhosale told officials that there should be no delay in completing critical works ahead of Ganeshotsav.

“Instead of repeatedly reviewing the works, the focus must now be on accelerating them on the ground,” the minister instructed.

Nagothane flyover to gain momentum after IIT report

The stalled flyover project at Nagothane is being taken forward with technical assistance from IIT. The repair work on the flyover will commence immediately after receipt of the technical report.

In the meantime, Bhosale has directed officials to repair the highway on both sides beneath the flyover to ensure smoother traffic movement.

Mangaon bypass: Side Lane to open from August 20

Work is also being expedited to enable one-way traffic on the Mangaon bypass. Of the approximately 7.5-km stretch, around 5.5 km is planned to be opened for one-way traffic.

Work to place girders on the railway bridge is scheduled to begin from August 20. Once the girder work is completed, the remaining two-kilometre stretch will also be opened for one-way traffic, helping ease congestion on the Mangaon bypass.

Chiplun flyover in final phase

The construction of the major flyover at Chiplun has entered its final phase. Girder installation has been completed, while earth-filling work near the sub-divisional office is progressing rapidly.

Officials are making efforts to open the flyover to traffic before Ganeshotsav, provided weather conditions remain favourable.

With lakhs of devotees expected to travel to Konkan from Mumbai, Thane, Pune and other parts of Maharashtra during Ganeshotsav, the government is giving top priority to completing critical works on the Mumbai-Goa Highway.

Bhosale directed all concerned agencies to work in close coordination and ensure that the projects are completed within the stipulated deadlines, with the primary objective of making the festival travel safer, faster and congestion-free.