After declaring February 25 as the new deadline for the Gokhale bridge at Andheri, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) completed concreting the bridge on Monday. The curing period for the concrete is three weeks, and remaining work, including lighting, signage, lane marking, will be done simultaneously to complete it by February 23. 

Meanwhile, in a follow-up letter to the BMC, residents raised the issue of the condition of the unused newly built Teli Gali flyover and the unfinished work of alignment of the Barfiwala bridge. The letter also mentioned that the girder for the second phase hadn’t arrived yet, despite the BMC’s assurance to open the whole bridge before the monsoon.

The Barfiwala flyover on the west side of Andheri station; Unkept newly construted Teli Gali flyover

Around 12 days ago the BMC had issued a new deadline. After the new deadline was issued, residents of the surrounding areas wrote a letter to the BMC, urging the fixing of a day-to-day timeline and sharing it with the public. In the letter, residents claimed that the BMC had taken six months to assemble and place a bridge that could have otherwise been completed within two months, displaying a lax attitude. The residents are in the process of writing a reminder to the BMC. The first girder of the crucial east-west connector was launched on the intervening night of December 2 and 3. It was shifted about 13.55 metres to the north from its original location and then lowered by 7.5 metres on January 14. After levelling the girder, concreting was completed on Monday. Till Sunday, the work of deck sheet placing on both sides to connect the girders with slopes in municipal areas was completed. Even the removal/dismantling of the Teli Gali approach end portion was completed to match the slope of the Gokhale approach on the east side. Amit Satam, local MLA, informed the residents that according to BMC officials, the curing period for concrete is three weeks. After curing mastic, lane marking, and load testing work will be completed by February 23.

Dhaval Shah, founder of Andheri Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association, raised the issue of the alignment of the Barfiwala flyover. Satam also informed that the BMC is working on the alignment of the Gokhale bridge to the Barfiwala flyover on the west side of Andheri station. The residents also objected to the condition of the newly built Teli Gali bridge on the east side of Andheri station, which is not used yet and will connect the Gokhale bridge to the Western Express highway. “The cement road surface has cracks. The asphalt road surface has gravel sticking out on the Teli Gali flyover. Similarly, the west side approach road has been ready for over two years. Yet, no work is progressing to match the level of Barfiwala lane,” said Zoru Bhathena, an activist.

Feb 23
Day all the work on the bridge is expected to be completed on

Feb 25
New deadline for completion of Gokhale bridge

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