Get ECI nod, start Gokhale bridge work: Andheri MLA to BMC

Mumbai: With Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) submitting its report on joining the Gopalkrishna Gokhale bridge with the Barfiwala flyover, Andheri west MLA Ameet Satam on Friday wrote to Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner (BMC) commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, requesting him to get special permission from the Election Commission of India to float a tender and link the two bridges.

The Barfiwala flyover, which connects Juhu with Gokhale bridge – a key Andheri East-West connector, is out of bounds despite partial reopening of Gokhale Bridge owing to a difference in height between the two structures. The difference was due to the Railways’ increased height requirement, the BMC had said while asking VJTI to submit a report on joining the bridges.

“BMC requested VJTI for an expert opinion and VJTI has made some technical recommendations to connect the two and fill the gap and the said work will take around 90 days. Since the model code of conduct for elections is in place, and the said work is an emergency work affecting commuting of lakhs of citizens, I request your kind self to take special permission from election commission for executing this work as an emergency work and come out with a tender for same so that the said work is complete around monsoon period,” Satam stated in the letter.

Satam said VJTI’s recommendations could be executed by the same agency that constructed the bridge and urged the commissioner to ensure that the work happens under the supervision of VJTI. He also requested the commissioner to increase the pace of work of the second side so that the deadline of December 31 could be adhered to. “Kindly treat this matter as extremely urgent and very important,” he said in the letter.

The HT had, on March 21, reported about VJTI writing to the BMC on methodology to bridge the gap. The institute said that instead of demolishing the flyover, its slabs could be raised using jacks and a specialised engineering technique, so as to align it with the partially opened Gokhale bridge.