This article is the third in a multi-part series examining the condition of the Mumbai–Goa National Highway (NH-66), based on field documentation and Right to Information (RTI) data gathered by engineer and activist Chaitanya Patil, along with representations submitted to authorities.
After walking the entire 490-km stretch of the Mumbai–Goa National Highway over 29 days, Chaitanya Patil submitted a detailed technical report documenting what he describes as recurring safety lapses and unfinished work across the corridor. The report identifies 59 distinct categories of hazards, each supported by GPS-tagged photographs and accompanied by suggested corrective measures drawn from existing road engineering and safety standards.
What stands out in the documentation is not the novelty of the problems identified, but their familiarity. The hazards described are not rare or exceptional failures. They relate largely to incomplete construction, poor finishing, weak maintenance and prolonged use of temporary arrangements.
A Highway under Continuous Work
Chaitanya’s report divides the NH-66 corridor into multiple segments, from Palaspe Phata near Panvel to Zarap near the Goa border, and lists pending works and safety lapses in each stretch. Across districts, similar issues recur: unfinished bridges, incomplete service roads, open medians, poor drainage and potholes forming even on newly laid concrete surfaces.
In several locations, temporary diversion roads created during bridge or flyover construction have remained in use beyond their intended purpose. These diversions are often uneven, lack proper surfacing and drainage and are inadequately marked, increasing the risk of skidding and loss of control, particularly during the monsoon.
Chaitanya notes that many such diversions were never designed for sustained traffic volumes, yet continue to carry heavy vehicles months or years after being introduced.
Repeated Safety Lapses
A large portion of the hazard categories relate to what the report describes as basic safety infrastructure failures. These include missing or illegible signboards, damaged reflectors, non-functional street lighting and broken barricades that are not promptly restored after accidents.
In multiple places, median openings remain either unauthorised or poorly finished, with uneven levels and water accumulation that make turning movements unsafe. The report also flags speed breakers installed on downhill slopes or without standard markings, which increase the risks of braking and skidding.
Drainage failures feature prominently. Despite the Konkan region’s heavy rainfall, waterlogging is observed on carriageways, near medians and at bridge approaches. The report links this to clogged drains, inadequate slopes and unfinished drainage systems which, in turn, accelerate road surface damage and pothole formation.
Another recurring theme is the absence or poor condition of service roads near habitations. Chaitanya documents multiple villages where local traffic is forced to enter the main carriageway directly because service roads are incomplete, broken or missing altogether.
According to the report, this creates conflict between high-speed through traffic and local movement, particularly for pedestrians, two-wheelers and agricultural vehicles. Several hazard categories focus on incomplete village junctions, unsafe access points and lack of safe pedestrian crossings or usable underpasses near populated areas.
Construction Quality and Maintenance
The documentation also raises concerns about construction quality. In some stretches, newly laid concrete roads show premature cracking that later develops into potholes. Flyovers and bridges are flagged for exposed reinforcement, deteriorated asphalt joints and inadequate drainage systems.
Chaitanya’s report repeatedly recommends structural audits, defect liability enforcement and third-party quality inspections, suggesting that many of the issues observed fall within the scope of routine quality control rather than new design challenges.
Beyond road geometry and surface condition, the report identifies risks arising from encroachments, roadside debris and poor housekeeping. These include abandoned or rusted vehicles, unauthorised hoardings, broken liquor bottles, iron objects, nails and construction debris lying on the road.
During the walk, Chaitanya records removing such hazards himself at several locations and notes that debris accumulation poses a particular risk to two-wheelers and night-time travellers. Stray animals, garbage accumulation and vegetation obstructing visibility are also documented across districts, especially near villages and forested stretches.
Known Problems, Standard Remedies
For each hazard category, the report lists corrective measures that are largely drawn from Indian Roads Congress (IRC) guidelines, Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) standards and established highway safety practices. These include routine inspections, completion of service roads, proper drainage design, standardised signage, enforcement of defect liability periods and regular maintenance audits.
The report does not estimate costs or assign responsibility to specific contractors or officials. Instead, it focuses on documenting existing conditions and outlining what standard procedures require at each location.
Taken together, the 59 hazard categories suggest that many of the risks on NH-66 arise not from the absence of technical solutions, but from delays in completing work and maintaining safety infrastructure on a highway that has remained under construction for years. Based on the reports submitted by Chaitanya, the hazards identified on NH-66 include (not an exhaustive list):
- sudden potholes and damaged patches appearing on otherwise good road surfaces, creating high accident risk
- premature cracking on newly constructed concrete roads that later develop into potholes
- unauthorised and poorly finished median openings, including official openings with uneven levels and water stagnation
- monsoon-related risks caused by inadequate drainage, leading to waterlogging, hydroplaning and early surface damage
- unsafe diversion roads used during bridge and flyover construction, often uneven and strewn with loose gravel and potholes
- improperly installed or non-standard speed breakers, including breakers located on downhill slopes
- missing, damaged or illegible direction and warning signage, particularly near construction zones and junctions
- broken barricades, reflectors and safety installations that are not restored promptly after accidents
In Part 4, we examine how authorities responded after the report was formally submitted, what actions have been initiated and whether the documented hazards have translated into on-ground corrective measures.
You may also want to read:
