mid-day impact: CR announces two major night traffic blocks on Oct 19 and Oct 20 to demolish remains of dangerous bridge
Even after the bridge was closed to pedestrians, it continues to pose a danger to commuters. File pics
Over a week after CR said that it would demolish the rusty remains of the Dombivli foot-over-bridge (FOB), the authorities have announced a traffic and power block on the night of October 18 and 19 on the Diva-Kalyan and Dombivli-Kalyan sections to bring down the bridge. A senior CR official said it was important to stop rail traffic on the routes, as a crane would be used for the work.
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Earlier this month, mid-day had done a page 1 story (A disaster waiting to happen at Dombivli) on how the rusted remains of the bridge were left hanging on the rail lines, with commuters asking the railways whether they were waiting for a collapse. Following the report, the CR authorities had promised that the bridge would be demolished this month itself.
Rusted portions of the bridge hang precariously over the railway tracks at Dombivli station
On the intervening night of October 18/19 (Friday-Saturday), the traffic block will happen between Diva-Kalyan on the up and down fast lines for 2.30 hours from 1.10 am to 3.40 am and from 1.10 am to 5am on the 5th and 6th lines between Dombivli-Kalyan. On the intervening night of October 19-20 (Saturday-Sunday), rail traffic will be blocked between Diva-Kalyan on the up slow line from 1 am to 3.30 am and on the down slow line from 1 am to 5 am.
Sources said that work would also affect running of suburban and outstation trains. The Kalyan-bound slow local services from Diva at 12.39 am, 12.53 am, 1.02 am, 1.13 am, 1.23 am and 1.33 am will be diverted on the fast line between Diva-Kalyan and will not halt at Kopar and Thakurli stations on the night of October 19-20. The mail/express trains will be running behind schedule by 15-20 minutes.
The Mumbai-bound mail/express trains that will arrive during the block period will be diverted via Kalyan and Diva. They will reach their respective terminus 15-20 minutes behind schedule. The outgoing mail/express trains will be diverted on the slow line between Diva-Kalyan stations and will run at least 15-20 minutes behind schedule.
However, the fate of some of the bridges at Kurla, Vidyavihar and Thane stations, which have been declared dangerous, continues to be uncertain.
20
Time in minutes that Express trains will be delayed during block
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