The delay in reconstruction of the nearly 50-year-old Gopal Krishna Gokhale flyover – a crucial connector between Andheri East and West, a part of which had collapsed in 2018 – is costing Andheri residents and commuters an enormous amount of time that they end up spending in traffic jams, especially during peak hours. Location: Andheri East-West flyover bridge, also known as Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge Dug-up for: Reconstruction work of the bridge which connects two arterial roads, including Swami Vivekanand (SV) Road and Western Express Highway. Importance of project: Reconstruction of the 47-year-old rail overbridge aims to smoothen vehicular traffic between Western Express Highway (WEH) and Andheri (West) and Juhu area. Implementing agency: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in coordination with Western Railways Total cost of the project: Rs 103 crore (plus revisions subject to Western Railway clearances) Watch | Delay in rebuilding Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge costs #Andheri residents much time, energy#Mumbai #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/hAD56sRPXE — The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) May 27, 2022 Work order issued: April 2020 Initial deadline for completion of project: 18 months Revised deadline: As per officials, the civic body is awaiting certain approvals from the Western Railways and the project will be completed within two years once the nod is received. Reasons cited for delays: Covid-induced lockdown, railway clearances While work orders for rebuilding the Gopal Krishna Gokhale bridge, originally constructed in 1975, were issued in the first half of 2020, construction of the new bridge – expected to be completed by 2022 – is not even halfway through. The BMC is awaiting approvals from the Western Railways for the same and the delayed reconstruction work has impacted traffic flow in the area. Satish Thosar, chief engineer (BMC bridges) claimed that since the civic body has been asked to construct a portion that falls under the Western Railways' (WR) jurisdiction, it is awaiting approvals from WR which has led to the delay and may also push up the project’s estimated cost. Currently, due to the repairs, it takes at least 20-25 minutes to cross the bridge during peak hours and reach Western Express Highway from SV Road (Andheri West). The construction of Teli Gully Flyover has also led to increased congestion in the area. Puroshottam Pandit (54), a resident of Teli Gully area in Andheri (East) who works at an IT firm, said he used to catch a company contract bus near the bridge from a spot which could be reached within five minutes from his residence. "It is an important connector between Juhu and Andheri East for those who travel to the international or domestic airport, workplaces or eastern suburbs. Daily traffic and the walk through the dug-up stretch is a constant worry,” he explained. “It also becomes difficult for senior citizens to commute via dug-up roads, leading to backache and other issues. Ever since they started the work on the bridge, I have had to walk all the way to the Western Express Highway to catch a bus, which takes me 20 minutes. Moreover, now I have to get down at the Bisleri signal and walk home for nearly 20 minutes as no autorickshaws or buses are available due to heavy traffic,” Pandit pointed out. Karan Jotwani, an Oshiwara resident who commutes to work daily via the Gokhale bridge said the repair and reconstruction work has increased his travel time by 30-45 minutes on a daily basis. "It leads to wasting productive time, energy and expensive fuel. Earlier it used to take 3-4 minutes to cross over the bridge. Now it takes at least 20-25 minutes during peak hours as half of the bridge is already demolished and completion of construction work is not in near sight." Meanwhile, when contacted, Western Railways CPRO Sumit Thakur said, “The WR have been issuing permissions and clearances on top priority as soon as we are getting the request from the BMC and there is no delay from our end.” Dhaval Shah, Chairman of Lokhandwala-Oshiwara Citizens' Association (LOCA) said the BMC contractor is required to be put to task to complete work within the stipulated time. "The traffic jams on the bridge cause commuters and residents immense difficulties. Even crossing SV Road Traffic Signal which is situated before the bridge, itself takes 15-20 minutes during peak hours. The BMC contractor needs to be pulled up by the civic body for the slow rate of work, which should have been in finishing stages by now. However, only one side of the bridge is in the making, that too in the nascent stage. Project deadline is also unclear. The authorities should ensure the work is completed in an expedited manner and avoid any further mishap or inconvenience to Mumbaikars," he said.
