Gokhale Bridge, Barfiwala Flyover alignment: BMC to launch work to connect bridges today

Slated to commence from 4 pm today, the work will be launched in the presence of experts from IIT and Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), who had submitted its first technical report to the civic body on March 19. In its report, the VJTI had said that the two flyovers could be merged without demolishing either of them.

While the VJTI report submitted that the two bridges could be linked by raising four spans, the IIT report which gave the final go-ahead for the alignment plans said that the structures can be merged by raising even two spans.

Following the release of the IIT report on April 8, civic officials had said that the final drawings were being prepared by the VJTI, in a bid to fast track the process. Officials also maintained that the girders of the northern side of the bridge are being brought to Mumbai from its workshop in Ambala and the process of assembling will begin post April 2024.

According to Ameet Satam, local BJP MLA from Andheri, the work to bridge the gap and connect the bridges will be executed by the existing contractor.

Constructed in 2008, the Barfiwala Flyover would originate from Juhu and connect with the north-south arms of the old Gokhale Bridge, which has been in existence since 1960. Following the demolition of the latter in 2022 and construction of the new bridge in its stead, meanwhile, the new bridge was partially opened for vehicular movement on February 26 this year.

However, due to the guidelines of railways — since this bridge passes above the railway tracks — the BMC constructed the new Gokhale Bridge at an elevated height of six meters, resulting in misalignment of its arms with the Barfiwala Flyover.