BMC may open Carnac bridge to public on June 5

Mumbai: The 154-year-old Carnac Bridge is undergoing a critical reconstruction process, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) achieving a key milestone by installing a 516-metric-ton iron girder on the south side of the railway section. The bridge, situated near Masjid Bunder Railway Station and linking P D’Mello Road, plays a vital role in easing traffic in Masjid Bunder, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, and Mohammad Ali Marg areas of south Mumbai.

Originally constructed in 1867, the bridge was declared unsafe by IIT Bombay experts in 2018, prompting the BMC to initiate reconstruction to address its dilapidated condition. On Thursday, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar visited the project site to review progress. He provided directives to chief engineer (Bridges) Uttam Shrote, deputy chief engineer (Bridges) Rajesh Mule, and other officers, workers, and staff involved in the project.

Bangar reported that 428 metric tons (83%) of spare parts for the iron girder on the opposite side of the bridge have been delivered, with the remaining parts expected to arrive by December 20, 2024. The BMC’s timeline includes assembling these parts by January 13, 2025, and conducting a trial run on January 14, 2025. The civic body has requested the Central Railway to grant a railway block on January 18 and 19, 2025, to facilitate the girder installation.

“The schedule has been meticulously planned to assemble and install the beam, construct the approach road, and conduct the load test. If all goes as expected, the BMC aims to open the Carnac Bridge to traffic by June 5, 2025,” said Bangar in a press statement.

After completing the girder installation over the railway lines, work will proceed in stages. The first phase involves completing the pile foundation for approach roads by March 15, 2025, followed by erecting piles by April 17, 2025, concreting the approach roads by May 3, 2025, and conducting a load test on June 1, 2025.

The BMC emphasised the importance of timely approvals from Central Railway to adhere to this schedule. Parallel activities, such as installing anti-crash barriers and erecting electricity poles, will be carried out to optimise the timeline.