This led to a public outrage, following which BMC stepped in to repair the flyover. (File Photo)The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to take over 41 structures including 27 flyovers, four foot over bridges, four pedestrian underpasses, four traffic junctions, one railway over bridge and one vehicular underpass from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which originally built these structures and have been maintaining them for decades now.The reason behind the BMC taking them over is to end the long running problem of fragmented accountability of Mumbai’s roads and flyovers especially during the monsoon.Last year, there was massive public outrage after potholes emerged on the Vakola flyover in Mumbai’s Santacruz, leading to disruption in traffic. The BMC passed the buck on MSRDC stating that the flyover was originally built and maintained by them and the civic body doesn’t have any accountability on it.This led to a public outrage, following which BMC stepped in to repair the flyover.Meanwhile, in a meeting held between civic officials and senior officials of MSRDC it was decided that as many as 41 structures including flyovers, underpasses and traffic junctions will be handed over to the BMC. Some of the key structures include, the Jogeshwari Vikhroli flyover, the JJ flyover, Film City flyover (Goregaon), and Sion flyover.The minutes of the meeting that was carried out last month between the two agencies state that almost all the structures are in a precarious state with their roads needing immediate repair works.At present, the contract for maintenance of these flyovers have been issued to a private agency who is under contract till 2029. The BMC officials, however, stated that since an agency is already appointed, the cost of maintenance for these roads will be borne by the MSRDC til 2029.Story continues below this ad“MSRDC should work out on the maintenance cost incurred by them in the last three years and accordingly extrapolate that amount for the periods between 2026 and 2029 – the remaining period of the contract. Following this, the amount should be transferred to the BMC by the agency,” Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide stated in the meeting.The documents also show that at present the advertisement rights of these flyovers lie with the MSRDC.The advertisement right is a key source of revenue through which the government agencies earn profits by leasing out space in flyovers, bridges to private entities for erecting billboards and hoardings.The current contract for advertisement rights stands with MSRDC till 2029 and Bhide stated that after 2029, these rights will be automatically transferred to BMC.Story continues below this adThe BMC started taking over flyovers and bridges constructed by different agencies under its belt for maintenance starting 2022.In November that year, the BMC took over the Western Express Highway (WEH) and Eastern Express Highway (EEH) which was earlier owned and maintained by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), for its maintenance and upkeep.However, several flyovers on the WEH and EEH corridors remained under MSRDC. This created confusion because commuters assumed BMC was responsible for all road surfaces. During the Vakola bridge outrage last year BMC had also installed a signboard clarifying that it was MSRDC and not BMC that maintained those bridges.Pratip Acharya is a seasoned journalist based in Mumbai reporting for The Indian Express. With a career spanning over a decade, his work demonstrates strong Expertise and Authority in critical urban issues, civic affairs, and electoral politics across Eastern and Western India. Expertise & Authority Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express (IE), reporting from Mumbai. Core Authority: Pratip's reporting focuses sharply on local democracy and development, specializing in: Urban Governance and Civic Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis of municipal decision-making, city planning, and local infrastructure, essential for informed urban reporting. City Politics and Environment: Covering the political dynamics of Mumbai and surrounding areas, alongside critical environmental challenges impacting the metro region. Electoral Coverage (High-Stakes Experience): He has extensive experience in high-stakes political reporting, having covered major elections, establishing his Trustworthiness in political analysis: National: Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019. State: West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016 and Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2019. Major Assignments (Ground Reporting): Pratip demonstrated commitment during crises by conducting ground reporting throughout the Covid-19 pandemic since its breakout in 2020, offering first-hand accounts and analysis of the public health crisis. Experience Extensive Experience: Starting his career in 2014, Pratip has built his foundation across multiple prominent English dailies: Started at The Times of India in Kolkata (2014). Relocated to Mumbai (2016) and worked with The Free Press Journal and Hindustan Times before joining The Indian Express. Pratip Acharya's diverse experience across major publications, coupled with his specialized focus on the intricate details of urban governance and a track record of covering major electoral and health crises, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for news from India's critical metropolitan centres. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:BMC