Mumbai: First girder of Gokhale railway flyover at Andheri installed

In a significant leap forward for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations BMC infrastructure endeavors the first girder of the Gokhale Railway Flyover in Andheri has been successfully installed The project hailed as the fastest in BMCs history faced several technical challenges that have now been overcome marking a crucial step towards opening the first phase of traffic between Andheri East and WestMLA Amit Satam said that the installation of the first girder which took place between midnight on December 2 2023 and the early morning of December 3 2023 was a pivotal moment The ambitious project aims to open one lane of the Gokhale Bridge by February 15 2024 reflecting the efficiency and dedication of the BMCs wellplanned bridge department BMC said in a statementThe installation of girders for the Gokhale Bridge is a challenging engineering task conducted under the technical supervision of Western Railway Administration and May Rights Ltd Despite the complexities the first phase girder installation was successfully completed within the railway area achieving 75 percent of the planned distance it addedSatam emphasized the ldquorelentless efforts made by the BMCs Bridge Department to expedite the project overcoming challenges to ensure swift progress within a record time framerdquo Deputy Commissioner Infrastructure Ulhas Mahale highlighted that the girder would be moved north in the coming days and then gradually lowered presenting a technically challenging yet meticulously planned processChief Engineer Pools Vivek Kalyankar underscored the unique nature of the project being the first in India to lower a girder from a height of 75 meters in a bridge work within the railway area emphasizing the paramount importance of security measuresThe girder with a weight of approximately 1200 MT a length of 90 meters and a width of 135 meters is a critical component in the first phase of the railway terrain Following the connection of spare parts the girder installation aligns with the rules set by the Railway Authority to ensure the quality and standard of the workAlso read Mumbai Work starts on bigger faster Western lineThe Gokhale Bridge project involves the installation of two girders each weighing around 1275 tonnes connecting Andheri East and West Fabrication of girder parts is undertaken in Ambala and the members are assembled on a temporary structure on the east side of the railway track at a height of about 1314 metersThe Western Railway Administration having demolished the old bridge handed over the project site to the BMC on March 28 2023 Reconstruction work commenced on April 1 2023 and the current achievement reflects a major milestone in the overall progress of the project the BMC statement saidThe meticulous process of erecting the girder on the railway track sliding it to the north and lowering it by 75 meters involves highly skilled work under the guidance of consulting firm Wrights Due to the complexity and risk involved the responsibility for this work has been entrusted to Rights a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of RailwaysThe projects uniqueness lies in lowering a girder weighing around 1300 tonnes from a height of 75 meters a firstofitskind endeavor in India While the process adheres to railway safety norms the engineering challenge requires careful implementation of technology with each onehour block allowing for an average lowering of only 15 cmAs the project progresses approximately 80 percent of the approach road work within the BMCs limits has been completed through another contractor The completion of the first phase of the Gokhale bridge is anticipated by February 15 2024 allowing for the partial opening of trafficBoth the BMC and the Railway Administration have affirmed their commitment to the safety of the Gokhale Bridge with a joint declaration emphasizing that there will be no compromise on safety measures throughout the various phases of the project The anticipated opening of oneway traffic by February 15 2024 is contingent upon the completion of all required works for the bridge