Andheri: Gokhale bridge girder to be lowered by November 30

The girder was at a height of 15 metres till November 14. Pic/Satej Shinde

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set a new deadline to lower the second girder of the Gokhale bridge. After mid-day reported that a fifth deadline for the bridge work had been missed, the BMC started lowering the second girder, and as per the new deadline, this will be completed by November 30. The pier works of both approaches may be completed by February.

Earlier, the BMC had set a November 14 deadline to lower the second girder from a height of 15 metres to 7.5 metres. However, the girder remained at the same height as it was two-and-a-half months ago. The civic body started lowering the girder only after mid-day highlighted the issue in its November 18 edition. Due to its heavy weight, (1,300 tonnes) the girder cannot be brought down at one go and is being lowered by one to two feet daily.

The girder after BMC started lowering it. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

"The girder will be lowered by November 30 as we are getting blocks from Railways on alternate days. The rest of the work, like asphalting, can be completed within a month or so. The work of piers on both sides for approach roads is near completion except for one pier on each side which can be started only after the lowering of girders and removal of cranes. All piers will be completed by mid-February and the entire work, including both approaches, is set to be completed by April," said a BMC official.

Following the girder installation, other works, including the installation of crash barriers, asphalting, access roads, streetlights, and road painting are expected to be completed by April 2025. So far, several deadlines set for the bridge work have lapsed. These include an assurance to complete two lanes by May 2023 and four lanes by the end of 2023, but the BMC failed to do so.

"The work is slightly delayed, but it is still within a timeframe and we are hopeful the entire work will be completed by April and the bridge will open for traffic before the next monsoon," said Abhijit Bangar, additional commissioner of BMC.

Declaring the Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge dilapidated, the BMC closed it in November 2022 and assured that it would be completed by May 2023. After rigorous follow-ups from citizens, the BMC started two lanes of the bridge on February 26, 2024, with height restrictions. Currently, only light vehicles including cars and two-wheelers can ply on the bridge. The bridge is not yet open for buses.

Each girder is 13.5-metre-wide (accommodating three lanes in each direction) with a 1-metre-wide walkway, and 90 metres in length. The girders weigh approximately 1,300 tonnes each. A heavy-duty, 360-degree rotating crane is being used due to the limited space at the project site, allowing precise adjustments to the beam and its placement over the rail section.