CSMT bridge in Mumbai likely to be ready by 2022-end

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is working on a plan to begin the reconstruction of the Himalaya Bridge near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) by April 2021, with the aim to make it ready for pedestrians by the end of 2022, said civic officials. The BMC plans to finalise the contractor by March-end for the ₹6-crore project. Thereafter, the contractor will be given 15 months, excluding monsoon, to complete the construction.

According to civic officials, BMC has floated bids to appoint a contractor for the reconstruction of the Himalaya foot overbridge (FoB) that had collapsed in March 2019, killing seven.

“We are going to finalise the contractor and issue a work order by March-end. The work will start from April 2021 but will be impacted for eight months during the monsoon of 2021 and 2022. Due to this, the bridge will only be ready by 2022-end,” said an official from the bridges department.

“We have made changes in the design based on suggestions and recommendations from the heritage department. Traffic during the construction period will not be majorly affected for pedestrians or vehicles,” the official added. According to BMC officials, the busy Dr Dadabhai Naoroji (DN) Road, on which the Himalaya Bridge will be reconstructed, will not remain shut for traffic or vehicular movement. “There might be minor diversions but no closure of the road,” the official said.

However, during the launch of the bridge, DN Road may be shut for a week.

The bridge construction is expected to be done using stainless steel that will be supported by pier. As per BMC’s draft design, there will be three entry and exit points for the bridge, of which two will be on DN Road and one on the service road that leads to St Xavier’s College.