Carnac bridge in South Mumbai could come crashing down: Railways reminds BMC

Carnac bridge is one of the first east-west links across the old Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR), now called the Central Railway

Carnac bridge in south Mumbai is a threat and needs to be demolished urgently as per the recommendations made by the IIT a few years ago, the Central Railway reminded the civic authorities yet again. This comes as the final call is awaited from the traffic police.

The IIT audit report, conducted following the Elphinstone stampede and the collapse of Andheri bridge pathway, declared the bridge as dangerous. "The bridge needs to go from the passenger safety perspective. We have been following up with the traffic police too," a senior divisional official said.

CR officials are worried about the unsafe condition of this bridge built in 1868, and at a recent meeting, CR and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation authorities agreed on the need for its immediate demolition. Officials said the bridge will be dismantled by the railways and then reconstructed by BMC. The Railways is now waiting for a no-objection certificate (NoC) from the traffic police to begin the work.

The plaque on the bridge

Traffic police officers said the 154-year-old road overbridge, which passes over the railway lines between CSMT and Masjid railway stations, had been shut since 2014 after it was declared weak and unsafe for plying heavy vehicles. Later in 2016, a heavy vehicle had rammed into its height barricades.

"At present, Hancock bridge and Delisle bridges are shut for repair. Shutting down one more bridge immediately would not be appropriate for the moment. Hancock and Carnac bridges both are crucial east-west bridges in south Mumbai, connecting P D'Mello Road to the west side, and if both bridges remain closed, it would be a major traffic hassle. Work on Hancock bridge is expected to be complete in a few months and is planned to be partially opened for the public before monsoon sets in this year. Once that happens, Carnac is planned for closure and demolition," a senior traffic officer said.

Steeped in history
Local residents said the bridge is steeped in the city's history with it being one of the first east-west links across the old Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR), now called the Central Railway. "The bridge has very important markings in three languages - Hindi, Gujarati and English - with the letters 1868 and name of the bridge carved on plaques on all four sides of the bridge. The authorities should not discard the old plaques, and should embed the plaques in the new construction," a local resident said.

The bridge was built about 30 years after the road came up in the 1840s. The road was built by Laxman Harishchandra Ajinkya while constructing one of the first wharf and basins of Bombay along the eastern shore.

1868
Year the bridge was built