Shut Lower Parel bridge immediately, says IIT Mumbai's preliminary repor

WR officials and IIT experts inspected the ROB last week

Nearly a week after inspecting the Road Over Bridge (ROB) at Delise Road near Lower Parel station, the Western Railway (WR) and IIT have called for it to be shut down and dismantled immediately.

"After inspection on July 17, IIT Mumbai submitted a preliminary report to close this bridge immediately. This report was given to Western Railway and the BMC on July 20," said a senior WR official, adding, "It was constructed in 1921, and as per the inspection report, the cross girders of this ROB are highly corroded and need to be replaced."

In the latest letter to the municipal commissioner, the railways requested that the ROB be closed for all vehicles and pedestrians with immediate effect. Sources said that the letter also requested that the BMC reconstruct the bridge, as in the case of Hancock bridge in the Central Railway jurisdiction.

Sources added that expression of Interest (EOI) has been published to invite structural engineers and consultants to suggest suitable structure and methodology to rebuild the ROB in the shortest possible time. The Delisle ROB is 62.72 m long and has a carriageway width of 23.2 m.

Till date four ROBs have been audited by the first tier, consisting of a senior professor from IIT Bombay, along with BMC and WR officials. Similarly, detailed technical inspection by the internal railway team has been carried out at 15 ROBs and 10 FOBs. Repair work has commenced wherever required.

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