Mumbai: For motorists, taking Hancock bridge is still a distant dream

Labourers work on the Hancock bridge near Sandhurst Road station on Wednesday. Pic/Ashish Raje

Pedestrians will be able to take the Hancock bridge once again, most likely by next month. However, motorists still have a long wait, thanks to the delay in getting approval to move around 40 trees in the way of the project."

Currently, the slab on one side of the bridge has been set and once the work is complete, residents around Mazagon dock can take the footpath by December, said one of the engineers from the BMC's bridge department, requesting anonymity.

Five years to open footpath

Last month, mid-day had reported that the BMC, at the last minute, told seven societies to vacate, irking residents and activists over the improper planning. The BMC is still struggling to get its plans in place for proper execution of their work, said activists. The footpath should have been opened in the initial few months of the bridge's demolition, but it took BMC almost five years, said activist Kamlakar Shenoy.

The engineer said that the bridge department was already facing shortage of staff, which worsened with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The civic engineer said, "We sent a proposal to the Tree Authority 10 months back and also several reminders thereafter, but the approval is still pending. These trees need to be moved so that we can start work on the approach road as the height of the road needs to be higher than earlier."

He added, "The work should have been completed by now but they continue to face several difficulties due to poor planning. The work only half way through and the untimely delay is also causing cost inflation. The BMC should ensure that the Tree Authority gives them timely approvals. It must also have enough manpower. The bridge's absence is causing serious traffic issues in the area."

40
No, of trees that are in the path of the bridge

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