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| Sea Link |
The dangerous turn opens the until then two-lane northbound side of the sea link to four lanes . To prevent accidents , the traffic police have prescribed a speed limit of 50 kmph on the bridge—a direction scarcely followed by motorists .
"The actual southern tip of the sea link is currently a dead end ending in the sea . There can be no solution to the deadly turn causing accidents until the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation joins this tip to land , either through a sea link or a coastal road ," said a senior technocrat associated with the sea link project .
CCTV footage shows that Monday's mishap happened because the driver of the vehicle , Ranjeet Kamble , "was speeding beyond the permissible limit ," said Jayant Mhaiskar of Mumbai Entry Point Toll Ltd, which collects the toll on the bridge .
The incident has , nonetheless , stirred the authorities into action . On Tuesday , the traffic police studied the sea link's flaws . Prominent among them are worn-out speed arresters , missing caution signs , old reflectors and malfunctioning CCTV cameras . "We will be putting up caution signs near the sharp turn since most drivers are unaware of it," said deputy police commissioner (traffic ) Nandkumar Chaugule . "We have noticed that regular motorists don't speed up on the sea link . It is the people who come for joyrides who do."
Traffic police say they prosecute speedsters on the sea link regularly , but the numbers are clearly insufficient . The Bandra and Worli traffic outposts record as many as 50 to 60 cases of speeding every day on BWSL , which sees an average daily traffic of about 40,000 vehicles . The fine is a paltry sum of Rs 200.
Officials also said that speed arresters installed by the MSRDC are nearly a-year-and-half old. Some of them have come off and , in some cases the epoxy adhesive has melted due to heat and wear and tear . "We will be writing to the MSRDC to get damaged speed arresters replaced . Some of the reflectors , installed across the sea link , have also got damaged ," said Chaugule .
Traffic experts said that the sharp turn—about 450 metres from the start of the bridge on the Worli end—is one of the sea link's worst spots . There have been six to seven mishaps at the bend in the past , but none fatal .
Experts have regularly demanded a gradual turn on the link , but officials have always pleaded helplessness . "There is space for a gradual turn where the Worli ramp meets the Bandrabound four-lane road . But it will have to be left untouched for the construction of the new sea link or coastal road ," said a senior engineer monitoring the sea link.
What compounds the problem is the gap between the two fourlane sides of the sea link . Because of this constraint , officials say , the divider at the existing crossover cannot be shifted. Moreover , the narrow space has to be shared with the southbound traffic from Bandra , which already suffers because of the narrowing of their lane .
"Motorists have no choice but to negotiate the sharp turn . All over the world , such turns are present on sea bridges and the speed limit is strictly monitored . If you breach the speed limit , an accident is bound to occur ," said a senior engineer who monitored the construction of the sea link . He added that even if a loop is built for the next phase of the link , motorists would still have to follow the speed limit to avoid accidents .
SAFETY WEAK
Speed Arresters |
Installed nearly a year-and-half ago on the sea link, the speed arresters have either worn out or come off. They need to be replaced
Caution Signs |
Large cautionary signage have to be placed near the turns to alert motorists of the need to slow down
CCTV Cameras |
More eyes need to be added to the existing five. Also, authorities have to ensure the cameras are functioning properly at all times
Road Reflectors |
Many of these cat's eyes on the sea link have got damaged due to wear and tear and are due for replacement.
Sources: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
