Andheri Bridge collapse: IIT begins joint audit of ROBs

The team inspects an ROB at Lower Parel

Two weeks after part of a road overbridge (ROB) collapsed over the railway tracks and platforms at Andheri station, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) yesterday finally began its audit of other bridges passing over railway lines.

mid-day had earlier reported suspicions that the bridge collapsed due to the combined factors of old age, design flaws, and the weight of around 60 utility cables and paver blocks laid on top.

The audit is being conducted as per the directives of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. An official from the Western Railway (WR) said that on Tuesday, a joint inspection of ROBs at Lower Parel, Elphinstone Road and Dadar was conducted by a team comprising WR and BMC officials, along with an expert from IIT. The inspections will continue over the next few days, and the IIT will suggest design solutions to prevent a similar mishap.

Following the collapse, Goyal had announced that he had reached out to the IIT director, Professor Devang Khakhar, to conduct an audit of all such bridges in Mumbai and use their technical expertise to find a solution.

IIT officials said it won't be possible for them to examine every single bridge, but they will look at a few major bridges and offer the railways a solution after studying their design.

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