Gokhale Bridge to be made fully operational by Nov, says BMC

The BMC had earlier set a deadline of reopening the bridge partially by end of May, while it planned on reopening the entire bridge for public use by October end.

However, last month, the civic body formally announced that the bridge will be opened only by end of November, since there has been a delay in supply of raw materials due to a strike in one of the plants of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).

P. Velrasu, additional municipal commissioner (projects), told The Indian Express, “We are now eyeing to reopen one arm of the bridge by end of October. The supply of steel resumed from May 1 and by end of this month, a consignment of 1,300 metric tonnes of steel will be acquired by our appointed contractor in their Ambala workshop, where construction and fabrication work for the new bridge is underway.”

Velrasu said fabrication works for the first girder has already started. “By the first week of June, the girder will be brought to Mumbai from the workshop in Ambala by dismantling it into smaller parts due to its superstructure. A number of trucks will be deployed that will make multiple trips between Mumbai and Ambala to bring the parts of the bridge her and the transportation will be complete by June end,” said the additional municipal commissioner.

Between July and August, the smaller parts of the bridge will be put together and starting September, the BMC will prepare to open the first girder of the bridge by October.

“This same sequence of events will be applicable for the second girder. While we plan to open part of the bridge in October, the second girder will be put in place in a month and the bridge will be opened for public use by November,” said Velrasu.

Citizens have called for a sit-in demonstration near the construction site of the bridge on May 14 to protest against the delay in opening the bridge, which once complete, will ease traffic congestion in Andheri. What has infuriated citizens even more is that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has postponed the partial opening of the bridge from May to October, indicating that the Gokhale Bridge will remain shut during the monsoon and is likely to compound the traffic woes faced by pedestrians and daily commuters.

Nearly 100 residents are expected to participate in the sit-in agitation to be held on May 14.