Diva road bridge to decongest railway traffic, help save lives

Demolitions have already started in order to speed up construction work of the bridge

Six buildings, shops and a lake will soon make way for the Diva road bridge, as demolitions have already started to speed up construction work. The road bridge at the station will help remove the last major level crossing spanning six rail lines.

The new Thane-Diva lines, which will open in January next year and the Kalwa level crossing, which will be shut down around Christmas this year are all set to provide a boost to the area.

The Diva bridge, which is expected to be completed in the next three years, will help decongest rail traffic and save lives as well, as it continues to be one
of the busiest level crossing gates.

"Six buildings, housing 120 flats, have been vacated and partially demolished. There was a lot of opposition, but the structures were illegal and we had warned the residents and given them enough time to move to an alternative location. We disconnected the power and water supply and started the demolition process last month. Once the road is cleared of the structures and debris, the engineering work can start," said a senior official.

The Sabegaon lake at the edge of the road, next to the rail lines, is also a part of the project as the pillars of the bridge will be erected at that location.

The road bridge is a part of the road-widening project from Diva Circle to the railway station, and will be 723 metres long and 14.80 metres wide. The Central Railway and Thane Municipal Corporation each are contributing 50 per cent of the construction cost of the bridge.