Changing City: Work on Rs 129-crore ROB for east-west connectivity in Bhandup to begin next month

What is the project all about?

In a bid to alleviate east-west congestion in the eastern suburbs, the BMC planned a new ROB in Bhandup for which a tender was invited in November 2022. Spanning a length of 529.53 metres, the bridge will connect the busy LBS Marg on the western side to the congested Veer Savarkar Marg on the eastern side. Passing over the railway tracks, the bridge will commence near the Bhandup station on the west side and land near Menon College on the eastern side.

As of now, the civic body has launched the construction of piers on the western flank. On the eastern side of the bridge, BMC said that work is underway to procure permissions pertaining to prevailing encroachments, trees as well as acquire nods for acquisition of a part of salt pan lands.

Benefits for commuters

Currently, the commuters travelling from east to west in Bhandup have to travel via the existing Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR) route or the Andheri Goregaon Link Road (AGLR). These routes are situated five kilometres apart and are burdened with heavy traffic, particularly during the peak travel hours.

According to officials, an old railway crossing at Bhandup, which once served as an alternative route, was closed for vehicular movement in the early 2000s, leading to calls from residents to reopen it.

The new bridge will establish a vital connection between Bhandup East and West, reducing travel time by half. Officials noted that the bridge is located just 100 metres from the closed railway crossing. Along with the recently opened Vikhroli bridge, this new ROB will further ease congestion on the JVLR and AGLR routes.

Features of the bridge:

The bridge spans a total length of 529.53 metres, with 233.50 metres on the eastern side and 207.30 metres on the western side. Approximately 89 metres of the total bridge length will extend over the railway tracks.

The structure will comprise three lanes, with a deck width of 11.50 metres on the BMC portion and 15.60 metres on the railway portion. The bridge will feature a total of 14 spans: seven on the eastern side, five on the western side, and two over the railway area.

Cost and Timeline:

The project is being executed for Rs 129.43 crore. The entire bridge is slated to be completed by early 2027.

Administration Speaks:

“The new Bhandup ROB will ease traffic congestion in the eastern suburbs by providing a new route for citizens. Following the monsoon, we will commence full-fledged work on the new Bhandup ROB from October. As we are facing some delays on the eastern side owing to the presence of trees, encroachments and some obstructions, we have already started pier foundation work on the western side. Even work on acquiring permissions for the eastern side is progressing well and we will soon start work on that portion as well. Additionally, as the bridge will pass over a railway line, the Railways is currently reviewing the General Arrangement Drawing (GAD) for the bridge,” a senior BMC officer stated.