The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) much-awaited project of constructing a bridge that connects Infiniti Mall in Malad (West) with Lagoon Road in Andheri (West) will commence this year. The civic authorities have invited tenders for appointing contractors willing to construct this bridge.
Malad and Andheri are the two most significant and crowded spots in Mumbai’s western suburbs. They serve as a residential and commercial hub. Lakhs of motorists commute every day between these two places. But no route brings direct connectivity between these two regions. Hence, huge traffic congestion causes misery in the entire western suburbs during peak hours regularly.
The civic body's development plan included the project's conception, and the proposed bridge was initially included in the civic body's 2019 civic budget. Officials stated the bridge will have two lanes on each side of the carriageways to accommodate additional traffic. It will be approximately 400 metres long and 35 metres broad.
Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects), P Velrasu, said that construction of this bridge will cost INR 224 crore. He said that the tendering process is complete, and now they will issue a letter of approval to the contractor. After the contractor gets the letter, work will commence immediately.
The bridge is planned to span the Poisar River and a hectare of mangrove patches. It will start behind Infiniti Mall and go towards the Andheri back road. There is a 12-kilometre distance between Andheri and Malad. Since there isn't a direct route between the two, drivers have to take the Western Express Highway, SV Road, or Link Road. After the bridge is constructed, the present rush-hour travel time of at least 45 minutes will drop to 6 to 8 minutes, said municipal authorities.
Civic authorities submitted a request and received approval from the Maharashtra Coastal Zonal Management Authorities (MCZMA) for environmental clearances because the bridge will cross mangrove regions. This project will have an impact on about 200 mangroves.
Bridges Department officials asserted that the idea was to connect Andheri and Malad. Hence, multiple locations were being considered as options between these two places for the bridge. After careful assessment, the Lagoon Road and Infiniti Mall sites were chosen, as this route would cause minimal damage to the environment and mangroves.
A plan to construct a flyover to link Versova in Andheri (West) with Madh Island in Malad, which is divided from both by the Malad Creek and lacks a direct road, was also approved by the Union Ministry of Forests earlier in 2023.
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