THANE, July 9 -- The Katai-Nilje flyover, commonly known as Palava flyover, was inaugurated on July 4 at the hands of Shiv Sena MLA Rajesh More, from Dombivli. On the same day, two bikers skidded on its surface and suffered minor injuries. Less than a week after its inauguration, the flyover which was positioned as a crucial link to ease traffic congestion between Shilphata and Kalyan, is being ridiculed by commuters as a "skidding zone", riddled with loose gravel, muddy patches, cement spills and poorly laid tar. The 562-meter flyover was built at a cost of Rs.250 crore; and four days since it was opened to public, 450 meters of the stretch has shown up its poor shape, evidenced by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation's (MSRDC) contractors seen on-site through the day busy patching up the hazardous sections. Ashwini Pawar, an office assistant, who commutes from Shilphata to Kalyan, said, "We were excited to finally be able to use the flyover thinking it would save time. However, what was envisioned as a symbol of infrastructural progress has now become a glaring example of poor planning, delayed execution and administrative negligence." Having navigated the deep grooves on the stretch, Amit Yadav, who works in a bank, and travels from Airoli to Badlapur daily, said, "Even someone with cataract can spot the flaws, to which authorities seemed to have turned a blind eye. I have to ride my bike very slowly over the loose granules and to lessen the constant jerks." Another frequent traveller, Vaishnav Vinod, observed, "The flyover was supposed to ease our travel but it looks like a trial track. It's shocking that a newly opened bridge is in such poor condition. If this is the quality after years of delay, what were authorities even working on?" The construction of the flyover began in December 2018. At the time, the plan was to build two parallel flyovers - one from Shilphata (Desai Naka) to Kalyan (Katai Naka), and the other in the reverse direction. However, work was halted in 2020 due to the proposed Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) of Indian Railways. The railways wished to widen the corridor with two extra lines dedicated for freight trains and as the pillars of the flyover were designed to be constructed on these spaces, it requested MSRDC to revise it to accommodate the corridor. The plan was revised in 2020, and following approvals from all stakeholders, construction resumed. The flyover, supported by 45 foundations or pillars, stretches from Desai Creek to Katai toll naka, and is situated on the vital Kalyan-Shilphata corridor, which connects Kalyan-Dombivli to Thane and Navi Mumbai-an area infamous for chronic traffic congestion. When work began, MP Shrikant Shinde had stated the new flyover will help reduce travel time from Katai naka to Navi Mumbai from 45 minutes to just 10 minutes. While he blamed "technical issues" for the delays, he assured the project would be completed by February 2024. Shinde's empty promise led to protests and public anger. Former Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) MLA from Dombivli Raju Patil had raised the matter of the incomplete flyover twice in the legislative assembly, and also wrote to MSRDC questioning the delay over clearance of encroachments on the route and completion of the reverse side of the flyover. At the time, all he could elicit from authorities was "the project will be completed soon". Present MLA More visited the site earlier this year and announced that the deadline of May 31 would be met, which also turned out to be a false claim. The delay led to joint protests by MNS and the Shiv Sena (UBT) who gathered near the flyover questioning the seven-year wait. He was unavailable for comment on the issue on Tuesday. After its inauguration on Friday, Patil returned to the site after reports of multiple two-wheelers skidding surfaced. "The flyover is completely in bad shape. We spoke to the workers and found that there is no proper mastic asphalt layer, leaving the surface full of granules and uneven patches. The surface coat has vanished, exposing iron rods within," said Patil, adding that he has demanded a structural audit of the flyover. "Strict action must be taken against authorities responsible for such state of affairs. The bridge, approved and sanctioned seven years ago, has seen its budget balloon at every MSRDC meeting. Now that the flyover is under scrutiny, officials are avoiding disclosure of the spends," said Patil. Meanwhile, putting up a defense of its work, MSRDC blamed the flaw on the oil from asphalt. An MSRDC official, who did not wish to be named, said, "The newly laid asphalt had become slippery in some locations. Hence, as a precautionary measure grit was spread on the surface. After that no slippery incidence was observed." He added, pictures of the rough surface being shared on social media are not that "of potholes but accumulation of grit which was removed later". The state of the newly-opened flyover led retired government officer Raju Gokhale to say, "It takes real talent to spend crores and still deliver a bridge that feels like a disaster zone from day one. It's not just poor execution but an insult on efforts towards public safety."...