Bridges delayed, traffic jammed

Mumbai: Andheri (west) resident Dr Vasudha Mulay, an anesthesiologist, has stopped attending emergency cases from hospitals in Andheri (east), as she is overwhelmed by the endless traffic jams at the Gokhale Bridge due to ongoing repair work. The bridge, an important link between the suburb’s east and west, sees heavy vehicular traffic every day, as only two lanes have been kept open.

A part of Gokhale Bridge that collapsed in 2018, following which it was shut down and an audit of all bridges by IIT-Bombay was ordered by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Work, which was originally supposed to be complete this year, may take three more years.

“We earn case to case. When we take up a case and don’t reach on time, we lose that case. Sometimes it takes 30 minutes just to cross that 1-km bridge. A few months ago, when I was on my way to attend an emergency case in Andheri (east), I got stuck in traffic and had to call another anesthesiologist to attend the case. Apart from the bridge being partially shut, the road after the bridge is also in a bad shape which contributes to the jams,” said Dr Mulay.

This is not the only half-done bridge causing traffic snarls; pending work on other bridges also compound the problems for citizens.

The Delisle Bridge at Lower Parel, shut in 2018 after the IIT-Bombay audit, was slated to open by December 2022. The deadline has been pushed to March 2023. The work is being jointly executed by BMC’s bridges department and the Western Railway (WR).

Additional municipal commissioner (projects), P Velarasu, said, “The bridge at N M Joshi Marg (Delisle Bridge) will be completed in March 2023. Most bridges planned over railway lines were delayed as codal provision issued by railways changed. As a result, thickness of plates, screws and other material to be used also changed. This led to increase in cost and tenders had to be reworked. A lot of bridges will be completed by 2023, easing traffic jams.”

On April 10, 2022, HT had reported the then cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray blaming Indian Railways for the delay in the reconstruction of Delisle Bridge. However, WR rubbished the claims of a deliberate attempt to delay and said it was due unavailability of labour and oxygen used for welding and other construction work due to the pandemic.

Advocate Trivankumar Karnani, founder of Mumbai North Central District Forum (MNCDF) said, “The bridges department seems to be one of the slowest to get any project off the ground. How does a city with nearly ₹45,000-crore annual budget not have resources to fast-track such important work?”

Dhawal Ashar, programme head, Integrated Transport, World Resources Institute, said, “We have been trying to create more space for cars for two decades, by constructing many flyovers. We have ended up with more vehicles and traffic jams. More roads lead to more cars – this is called induced demand.” Ashar felt new flyovers will not magically solve the traffic problem, which is why “Mumbai must consciously shift its paradigm to moving people, instead of moving vehicles”.

“We need a different approach to planning that puts people first and shifts the priority pyramid to walking, cycling and public transport first and automobiles last,” added Ashar.

Bridges under construction

Gokhale Bridge

(Connects Andheri east to west)

Work commenced: A part of the Gokhale Bridge collapsed in July, 2018, killing two and injuring three. Subsequently, the bridge was shut, with an assurance that it would be rebuilt. Work started only in 2020.

Original deadline: Mid-2022.

New deadline: Unknown.

Time-lapse: Four years.

Reason for delay: Sanjay Kumar Pandav, executive engineer, bridges department, western suburbs, said, “Railways has asked BMC to have the design plan (of the portion of the bridge over the railway tracks) approved from IIT-Bombay. We will soon pay the advance fees for approval to IIT-Bombay. Once the plan is approved by the institute, it will go to the railways for a nod, following which it will need at least three years to complete the project.”

Case study: Shahrukh Taraporewala, 41, said, since the bridge’s collapse, travellers have been facing severe traffic jams. “I work at a private bank and travel to Kanjurmarg from my home in Andheri (west). My earlier commute time of 25 to 40 minutes has now increased to around one-and-half hours,” he said.

Vikhroli Flyover

(Connects Vikhroli east to west)

Work commenced: Construction started in May 2018. The Vikhroli flyover was planned to ease the east-west connectivity and reduce traffic jams.

Original deadline: October 2020.

New deadline: May 2023.

Time-lapse: Four years.

Reason for delay: According to a BMC official from the bridges department, “The procurement of steel (1600 to 1700 mega tonnes) required to build the core structure of the bridge took time as it is not easily available. We finally procured it from a company in Ahmedabad.”

Case study: Advocate Ritesh Karkera, a resident of Vikhroli (east) said, “My kids go to school in Vikhroli (west). They leave from school at around 5:45pm and reach home by 7:30pm as the school bus has to take the Gandhinagar flyover. If the Vikhroli flyover is made, kids can reach home in 15 minutes. We have been only hearing about the construction and it is taking forever to be ready.”

Vidyavihar Flyover

(Connects Vidyavihar east to west)

Work commenced: The initial work started in 2018, but was paused due to design complexities. The flyover was planned for better east-west connectivity. The project took off again in 2020.

Original deadline: 2020.

New deadline: May 2024.

Time-lapse: Four years.

Reason for delay: Work started in 2020, but the progress was slow. A BMC official said the project was delayed as permissions had to be taken from 23 different departments. “Barring one approval which is expected to come through in a few weeks, all other permissions are in place. Work on assembling the girders is ongoing. The first girder is expected to be launched in December 2022, and the second by May 2023,” said the civic official, requesting anonymity.

Case study: Dr Vipul Joshi, 57, observed that almost all vehicular traffic from Vidyavihar that move from east to west, currently go through the flyover in Ghatkopar, which caused hours of delay. “Travel time from Ghatkopar (east) to Vidyavihar (west) or even Ghatkopar (west), should not take more than 30 minutes. Presently, it takes us 60 to 90 minutes. It will be a big relief if the Vidyavihar flyover is built,” said Joshi.

Delisle Bridge

(A major link connecting Lower Parel, Worli and Prabhadevi, in the west, with Currey Road, Lalbaug and Byculla, in the east)

Work commenced: Delisle Bridge was shut down in 2018, after IIT-Bombay, which studied the structure in the wake of the Gokhale Bridge collapse, said it was corroded.

Original deadline: End of 2022.

New deadline: March 2023.

Time-lapse: Four years.

Reason for delay: A BMC official said, the railways delayed in launching the girder, which led to the hold-up in handing over the approach road to be built by the civic body.

Case study: Lower Parel resident Mayuri Kokate, 41, said, while earlier her son’s school bus would pick him up near the house, after the bridge shutting down, she has had to hire a maid who walks with the child for 10-15 minutes to a road where the bus stops. “Both my husband and I are working professionals. Due to shutting of this bridge, no school bus is ready to come here for a pick-up. We have somehow convinced a school van to pick him up, which is on the main road, away from our home. The maid is paid an additional ₹3000 to pick up and drop my child,” said Kokate.