The Brihanumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received bids from five companies for the construction of the Bandra (East) station's skywalk. However, the work order will not be issued for another month. The project cost has also seen a significant increase from INR 19 crore to an estimated INR 83 crore (excluding 18% GST) after the previous contract was cancelled.
The cost increase is attributed to the skywalk's expanded dimensions. The skywalk's width has expanded from 4.2 metres to 6.5 meters. Its length has increased from 483 metres to approximately 740 meters. Additionally, the project will use steel instead of concrete for the 34 pillars. It will also have three escalators and a shade canopy.
The BMC floated a tender for the skywalk's repair on June 26, following its closure due to safety concerns after the Himalaya foot over bridge (FOB) collapse in 2019. A couple of structural audits and a report by Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) also identified the need for repairs. But, instead of restoring it, BMC opted for a complete rebuild. This resulted in the cancellation of the INR 19 crore contract.
The current proposal is now under review by a chartered accountant. A report will then be submitted for approval to the city commissioner. The order for work is expected to be issued in a month.
The BMC plans to employ advanced fabrication technology for constructing the skywalk. This technology is expected to increase construction costs but also shorten the construction period, according to local officials.
The skywalk was originally built by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in 2008. It was later transferred to the BMC. It stretches from Kalanagar to Bandra Court through Anant Kanekar Marg (station road). The decision to rebuild was made because repairing the section of station road leading to Anant Kanekar Marg was projected to cost INR 7 crore.
Demolition of the existing skywalk began in October 2022, following the release of a bid in January 2022. During this period, a petition was submitted to the High Court. The petition requested for the skywalk to be extended to the MHADA office. BMC then started a feasibility study for the extension and released a new tender for the extended project.
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