Gokhale bridge opening: East-West travel time down, but issues persist

BMC officials say pending work on the Gokhale bridge will be completed soon. Pic/Nimesh Dave

The opening of the Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge at Andheri has given relief to motorists and pedestrians in the area. However, motorists have complained about the lack of connectivity from Teli Gali to the bridge, which would provide direct access to S V Road from the Western Express Highway junction. BMC officials claim that these issues will be resolved soon. "We are aware of the issue but some minor works are pending," said an official.

Bharat Shah - a resident of Juhu who travels daily to Chakala in Andheri East - said that opening one arm of the bridge has cut short his travel time by at least 45 minutes. "We suffered a lot due to the absence of the Gokhale bridge. Now that it is ready I save at least 45 minutes each day. But this is only a minor relief as the bridge is not fully ready," Shah said, adding that there is a need to configure signals on S V Road to take a right turn onto Gokhale bridge after Shoppers Stop.

Currently, only light vehicles are allowed on the bridge. Pic/Nimesh Dave

Akanksha Patankar complained that while the bridge is easily accessible from S V Road, there is no means to enter or exit from Teli Gali. "This is creating a problem. The Barfiwala connector issue can be understood. But, entry and exit from Teli Gali can be provided easily. On one side there are concrete barricades. On the other side only a ramp is to be constructed. These works are easily done and so they should be done urgently. This will allow ease of access to the bridge from Andheri East," Patankar said.

Also Read: Mumbai: No girders, no ramps; how will Gokhale bridge open in three months?

Meanwhile, Dilip Nayak, a resident of Andheri West who works in Andheri East, said he enjoys his walk on the bridge. "I would go to my workplace walking. But after the bridge was closed, I had to buy a railway pass just to cross over using the railway bridge or else I would have to walk for 20-25 minutes for what was a distance of just a few metres earlier. Now I don't need to buy a railway pass and reach my office with just a 10-minute walk across Gokhale bridge," Nayak said.

Bharat Shah

Another pedestrian Ganesh Rane said the opening of the bridge had reduced his walking time by around 15 minutes. "I often have to walk from Andheri East to Andheri West. Using the bridge, my travel time has been reduced from 15-20 minutes to just 5-7 minutes," he said.

While motorists have been given some relief after one arm of the Gokhake bridge was opened, those who want to exit or enter from Andheri East have complained that they have no connectivity. Using the Teli Gali connector, motorists directly reach the S V Road from the Western Express Highway junction.

February 26
Day that one arm of Gokhale bridge was inaugurated

Nov 2022
Month Gokhale bridge was closed