Mumbai: On busy Gokhale bridge, BMC wants you to walk like this!

(Left) The west side footpath that is wide enough only for three people (middle) Footpath narrows down in the railway portion, and only two people can walk side by side (right) The east side footpath is the narrowest, allowing space for just one person

Even though the BMC is rushing to open one side of the Gokhale bridge by the month's end, residents have claimed that pedestrian access on the bridge is inconsistent. In a letter to the BMC chief, the residents pointed out unequal narrow pathways on the bridge - width for three people on the west ramp, two people barely fitting on the railway portion, and one person on the east side ramp. The BMC did the same thing with Delisle Road bridge at Lower Parel, and despite residents demanding footpaths a year ago, there is still no proper access given to the bridge.

The BMC announced that it would open one side of the Gokhale bridge at Andheri by February 25 and the whole bridge before the monsoon. Residents had written a letter to the BMC on January 23 and now in a second follow-up letter, raised concern over the footpath size and narrow access. The residents mentioned that the Gokhale bridge is very busy for pedestrians and the narrow pathways need immediate correction.

Cement curing work on Gokhale bridge. Pic/Anurag Ahire

"We were shocked to see that it was three people wide on the west, barely two people wide across railway lines, and just one person wide on the east," said Zoru Bathena, an activist. Another resident added that not only the width but also the height of the walls between the footpath and the railway bridge are an issue. "The height of the walls is higher than the people who will walk on it, giving this already narrow pathway an even stuffier look and feel. We requested the BMC to correct this," another resident.

Residents also pointed out that there isn't any space left on the bridge's external wall for a pedestrian staircase to allow access from Andheri station road on the west side. The letter, which has signatures of more than 40 residents and activists, mentioned that a pedestrian staircase is proposed to be built on the west to allow pedestrians to climb to and from the bridge from Andheri station road (West).

However, neither can we see any work in progress for such a staircase, nor can we see any space left in the external wall for such access in the future. We request BMC to look into the pedestrian staircase on the west to keep an opening for it. The BMC had completed concreting work on January 29. According to BMC officials, the curing period for the concrete is three weeks, and the remaining works, including street lighting, direction boards, lane marking, etc., will be carried out simultaneously. However, the residents claimed that the BMC is working in a hurry to meet the deadlines and it may result in poor workmanship.

Residents wrote the follow-up letter on January 29. The letters were forwarded from the commissioner to the bridges department. In a second letter dated February 13, the residents from Andheri and Vile Parle mentioned they were concerned that the curing water has been removed too soon and the need to cure the cement surface adequately cannot be emphasised enough. P Velarasu, the additional commissioner, did not respond to mid-day's calls and messages.

Jan 23
Day residents wrote a letter to BMC

Feb 25
Day the BMC plans to open one arm of bridge