Mumbai: Gokhale bridge opening extended to February 2024

The schedule for opening one-way traffic on the Gokhale bridge connecting Andheri East and West has been delayed by another four months. While the traffic is expected to start in the next few days, now February 15, 2024 has been fixed as the new date. Therefore, the hope of the commuters in the western suburbs to get rid of the traffic jam before Diwali has vanished.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Western Railway officials as well as consultants and contractor companies met on Wednesday to plan the work of laying the girder of the bridge. The very demanding work of installing the girders will be done under the guidance of a consulting company called Wrights. The BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal requested the General Manager of Western Railway to take a longer block on the Western Railway to lay the beam on the railway track. This was also confirmed by the Railways. 

The work of the first girder is very risky and there was a detailed discussion about when and how many blocks should be taken on the railway. Western Railway General Manager Ashok Kumar Mishra suggested that the information and drawings regarding the block to be taken should be submitted at the earliest. After the girder is established, the mastic work has to be done after the bars are laid on it, concreting, and after the curing work is completed. Overall, it was clarified in this meeting that February 15 will be the day to open one-way traffic in view of the completion period of necessary works for the bridge.

Why a longer megablock?

It will be the first experiment in the country to lower a girder from a height of 7.5 meters in a bridge work. Normally the girder can be lowered only 15 cm in one hour block. Therefore, it will take more time to lower the gigantic girder of Gokhale Bridge weighing 1300 tons to 7.5 meters. Therefore, the municipal corporation has requested to extend the period of the block. Western Railway has confirmed this demand.

Extension for the third time

Gokhale Bridge was closed in November 2022 as it became dangerous. A target was then set to start a side before the monsoons. However, due to many difficulties in this very complicated work, it was not completed in time. It was then targeted to launch a side before Diwali or in November.