08 October,2019 07:20 AM IST | Mumbai | Prajakta Kasale
The day the Himalaya Bridge at CSMT collapsed, killing six people. File pic
Ironically, the CSMT foot overbridge, the fatal collapse of which prompted the authorities to get its act together and fix all the dilapidated bridges in the city, has not been reconstructed yet. Six people were killed when part of the Himalaya Bridge collapsed during peak hour in the evening of March 14.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) conducted re-audit of all the bridges, including foot overbridge and road overbridge, and sanctioned reconstruction or repair of the 29 structures found in dilapidated condition. While work on all these bridges is in progress, the BMC is still waiting for the traffic evaluation report.
"We are waiting for the traffic police remark on the assessment of the traffic on the bridge, which was supposed to have arrived already. The report is supposed to give us the average number of pedestrians using the bridge and traffic at peak hour. This will help us build a design to accommodate a certain flow of pedestrians," said a senior officer from the Bridges Department of the BMC.
Post demolition, only the staircase of the bridge remains. File pic
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The civic body had, after the collapse, considered opting for either options - a subway or a skywalk. But six months later, the BMC officials decided to build a skywalk. A Bridges Department official said, "There are many utility services like water and gas pipeline, telephone lines and sewerage, under the road. Redirecting the utility services will take more time constructing a skywalk.'
Since the collapse of the Himalaya Bridge, BMC has repaired Oshiwara, Ghatkopar, Juhu-Tara road bridges among several others, and has opened them for light vehicles. Of the 29 bridges, the BMC demolished over 10 small foot overbridges and sanctioned contract to reconstruct them.
Additional Commissioner of Police (traffic) Pravin Padwal said he does not have the details on the issue at the moment and will take appropriate action after gathering required information.
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