The road was in a pathetic condition with big craters in the entire stretch.

Citizens had slammed the BMC for not repairing the road for a long period.

MUMBAI: In a U-turn from its decision not to use paver blocks in road repairs, a BMC-appointed contractor recently repaired a service road leading to Milan subway in Santacruz (east) using paver blocks after residents complained of dozens of potholes. The entire stretch which used to be a concrete road is now layered with paver blocks. What’s more, the area falls under the mayor’s ward.

The service road, which falls on the Western Express Highway (WEH), was in bad shape for long and before resurfacing works, the civic body tried to fill the potholes with cold mix. However, the patchwork wore off during heavy rain, claimed motorists and other locals who use the route frequently.

A civic official from the H/east ward which comprises areas of Bandra (east) and Santacruz (east), said, “The ward office received complaints from the locals about potholes on that stretch so we resorted to cold mix for instant relief. However, when it did not sustain, we had to use paver blocks.”

The road was in a pathetic condition with big craters in the entire stretch. Citizens had slammed the BMC for not repairing the road for a long period.

Omkar Yadav, an auto driver who uses the route on a regular basis, said, “The road was filled with potholes and to ride on it was a nightmare for everyone since the size of the craters was big enough to cause an accident.”

Nitesh Pandey, a local, said, “Forget about driving, the road was not even in a walk-able condition after heavy showers in the city.”