Mumbai: Gokhale Road bridge won’t be ready by Diwali

Locals, activists, BMC officials and MLA Ameet Satam (in white) at the site of the new bridge

Mumbaikars, brace for this - there could be a further delay in the opening of the new Gokhale bridge at Andheri. While officials had earlier said one lane of the new bridge could be opened by Diwali in November, a site visit by stakeholders on Monday, including officials from the BMC bridges department, the local ward office, local elected representatives and citizens, painted a different picture. Locals and activists claim there could be still a further delay in opening one lane of the bridge, given the complications and practicalities involved.

Residents with civic officials at the site on Monday

mid-day had reported on August 30 how three key Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) projects - the Coastal Road, Gokhale Road bridge and Delisle Road bridge - have been delayed due to planning failures on the part of the civic body as it did not foresee certain practical problems, in ‘3 key BMC projects delayed as planners did not plan for these practical problems'. Additional Municipal Commissioner P Velrasu had then said of Gokhale Road bridge, "One-side traffic will start before Diwali and the full bridge will be completed by June 2024." Andheri residents and activists, however, feel one lane will not be opened before Diwali as promised. They said as per available data and the site visit, it seems the lane will not be opened before December.

Further delay

On Monday, a panel of residents was accompanied by Andheri West MLA Ameet Satam on their visit to the Gokhale bridge site. Activist Zoru Bhathena who was part of the panel, said, "A girder will be moved across the railway line from November 7 to 20. After that surfacing work will start. It will be complete by December 31." A resident of Andheri West, Dhaval Shah, who was also part of the panel, claimed they came to know from BMC officials that the work on the bridge will not be completed till December 2023 end. "The BMC kept saying that at least one lane would open before Diwali, but now it seems difficult," he said.

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Work still pending

Talking to mid-day, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Ulhas Mahale, who visited the site with the residents, said, "We have targeted starting one side of the bridge by November end. There is a need to remove 13 structures from the Andheri East side for better movement of a crane." BMC will remove these 13 structures in a week. Owners/occupants of four structures will get alternative accommodation as Project Affected People. A resident has found that the assembly of the girders is delayed as there is not enough place for the crane to move. The resident found that a 15-metre space is needed for crane movement, but currently, there is only 9-metre space available. Hence, the 13 structures have to be removed. A BMC official claimed the work of four pillars is pending and they also need a mega block to push girders across the railway tracks.