Santacruz-Chembur Link Road: Double-decker flyover to finally have 2 girders

Central Railway (CR) commuters can expect delays, as two girders would be launched on the much-awaited flyover above the rail tracks between Kurla and Tilak Nagar railway stations on the Harbour line tomorrow.

Nearly a decade after the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) was first proposed and work began, the authorities will embark on the most crucial part of the construction processu00a0on the 6.45-km-long double-decker flyover.

Better late, than never
Mired in delays over designs and alignment of the flyover since several months, it is understood that officials from CR and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) set the ball rolling to launch massive girders over the railway tracks after CR officials gave the requisite clearances.

Sources said that initially plans were afoot to place cement girders, which was then changed to a steel bridge, as railway authorities felt that it would reinforce the safety aspect. CR granted permission to carry out this work only in July this year.

This, however, led to cost overruns and since its inception in 2003, the project cost has escalated from Rs 115 crore to Rs 550 crore.

Yesterday, a crane was brought to the spot, close to the rail tracks on the Harbour line, which would launch and place the girders above the pillars. Once this work is completed, the girders would be launched on the Main line as well. "This is a very complex procedure, as each girder weighs 40 tonnes. We plan to launch at least two girders on Sunday," said a senior CR official, on condition of anonymity.

Four-hour mega block
Authorities will impose a four-hour block to carry out the work wherein train services would most likely be disallowed. There are 10 girders to be placed above the tracks, and CR would require at least 17 such blocks to complete the work. The total length of the bridge above the tracks is around 62-metres.

"We are planning to open a part of this flyover, that passes above the Harbour line, by February for motorists. The other portion would be opened by June 2013," said S Nage, chief engineer, MSRDC. The six-lane road would have the city's first double-decker bridge that will crisscross right from Western Express Highway (WEH) to Eastern Express Highway (EEH). It starts at Dr Hans Burga junction on the WEH before Vakola junction in Santacruz (E) and proceeds to the east skirting Vidyanagari campus at Kalina on the west, then crosses Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Marg and joins near Amar Mahal Junction on the EEH.u00a0

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