IIT-B suggests minor repairs before opening Gokhale Bridge

Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay on Tuesday submitted its report to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Gokhale Bridge, the overpass linking the east and west sides of Andheri, which was recently shut down. According to an official from the civic body, experts from IIT have said that the bridge can be opened for two- and three-wheelers in the middle portion of the road subject to minor corrections below the bridge.

Following a public outcry after the shutting down of the bridge greatly inconvenienced commuters, the BMC on November 15 had written to IIT and the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), asking for their expert opinion on whether the existing Gokhale Bridge approaches could be allowed for two-wheelers, three-wheelers and light motor vehicles (LMVs) for a period of approximately nine months up to August 31 by adopting suitable measures. On Monday, VJTI sent its suggestions to the BMC for changes to be done in the bridges, which were then shared with IIT.

An official from the bridges department said, “The approaches were given an additional support of 350-400 tonnes of steel after the initial collapse in 2018. IIT has asked to get this staging checked thoroughly and asked for minor corrections to be carried out in the gaps. This means a 7.5-meter-wide central portion can be used for light vehicles subject to corrections at the bottom of the bridge. We will study the report thoroughly and take a decision soon.” IIT has also asked to completely barricade the areas below the bridge for public safety, he added.

A senior official from BMC said a decision on the IIT report would be taken soon. The civic body has already made a cheque payment of ₹17.49 crore on Tuesday to Western Railway (WR) for the demolition of Gokhale Bridge. “We cleared the payment to WR in a very short time, and we hope it will start the demolition process soon. We will be able to open the north portion of the bridge as per the May 2023 deadline,” said an official from the bridges department.

Meanwhile, the Andheri Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizen’s Association has written to the Mumbai traffic police and the BMC, requesting them to ensure that heavy vehicles do not ply on the Capt Vinayak Gore flyover in Vile Parle, which has served as one of the important alternative routes after Gokhale Bridge was shut. The association shared videos of these vehicles and expressed concern that the bridge could be damaged since it was not designed to handle the load. The official from the bridges department, however, said that as per the last audit, the bridge was totally safe.