Mumbai's newly inaugurated Mrinal Tai Gore flyover extension has come under criticism within hours of opening to traffic, with opposition leaders alleging poor construction quality after visible potholes, cracks and signs of wear and tear were spotted.

The extension of the Mrinal Tai Gore flyover from Ram Mandir Marg to Relief Road was inaugurated on June 6 by Mayor Ritu Tawde and opened to the public that evening.

The controversy erupted after a viral X post showed poor roads and potholes,leading to criticism from opposition leaders who questioned the quality of work, which took seven years to complete and underwent multiple cost revisions.

The construction of the 750-metre-long flyover extension commenced in 2018 and was originally expected to be completed within two years; however, it got delayed by over 40 months and saw a cost escalation from Rs 209 crore to approximately Rs 248 crore, costing approx Rs 33 lakh a metre.

NCP-SP national spokesperson Anish Gawande was among the first to raise questions about the poor road conditions.

In a post on X, Gawande said the flyover was named after veteran socialist leader Mrinal Tai Gore, who spent her life advocating for ordinary Mumbaikars; therefore, questioning whether the final stretch of the extension was a befitting tribute or not.

“The flyover is named after the iconic Mrinal Tai Gore, who spent her whole life fighting so ordinary Mumbaikars got a life of dignity. After seven years, three cost revisions, and a daily penalty on the contractor - this is all they could come up with to honour her?” his post said.

“But kya karein (what to do). This is the standard now under the triple-engine sarkar. Cut the ribbon. Click the photo. Leave the potholes for us. Bajao taali.(This is the standard now under the triple-engine government. Cut the ribbon. Click the photo. Leave the potholes for us. Clap and cheer),” his post highlighted.

Congress leader Varsha Eknath Gaikwad accused the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) of highlighting aerial visuals of the flyover rather than close-up footage of the road surface.

"Even from this height, the shoddy work, the uneven surface is quite visible,” she posted on X.

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray took to X and drew a parallel between the quality of posters used along the flyover and the materials used to build the newly inaugurated flyover extension.

Thackeray accused the Centre of ‘looting our beloved city(Mumbai).’

Over the delay in construction, contractor M/s MEPL–Gyan JV was penalised for missing the completion deadline. The BMC initially levied a penalty of Rs 25,000 per day from May 1, later raising it to Rs 1 lakh per day from May 12 after the delays persisted.