Normalcy on the Lonavala-Khandala section of the Yeshwantrao Chavan Expressway (YCEW) will be restored only by Saturday, Anil Diggikar, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) told BusinessLine .
Functioning of the Expressway has been disrupted since July 19 when a major landslide occurred outside the Adoshi tunnel, killing three people, and causing the road to be shut till the blockage was cleared. Since then, several kilometre long traffic snarls have been the order of the day, and travel time has multiplied two to three times the normal.
“Two 15-member teams of professional rock climbers are involved in mapping the trouble areas and checking the hill-slopes for loose rocks and boulders, and then dislodging them,” he saud,
The Expressway functions on a single lane to facilitate this work that happens for a couple of hours during noon till four every day, and traffic is also diverted along the NH4. “The work will be completed in the next two days and normalcy will be restored by Saturday,” Diggikar said.
Thereafter, in a preventive measure that is long overdue, the work of covering the hillsides with wire mesh will begin. "MSRDC will invest over 25 crore to cover the hillsides along the 2.2 km long stretch," he added.