Western Railways begins launching girders for Delisle ROB, sets September deadline

The Western Railway (WR) has finally commenced work to launch girders above the tracks for the Delisle road overbridge (ROB) at Lower Parel station Monday and said it will be completed by September this year. The work, which was slated to start from April, was delayed due to the unavailability of skilled labour and oxygen for fabrication work due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown, officials said.

The ROB has been shut for pedestrians and vehicles since July 24, 2018, after a structural audit by IIT-Bombay termed it “heavily corroded” and recommended its demolition at the earliest. It was subsequently dismantled by the railways and the work for reconstruction was pegged at Rs 87 crore. The reconstruction had started in November 2019.

According to railway officials, four temporary plate girders were launched across the tracks at Lower Parel station Monday night. “There are a total of 16 girders that have to be launched of which four were placed on Monday night. We will launch another 12 girders in the next three days. Around July, we will launch the first main platform girder and a second in September. So, till October, the part of girder launching by the railways will be completed,” Sumit Thakur, WR CPRO, said.