Mumbai: Western Railway will take 3 months to dismantle Delisle ROB

On Tuesday, heavy-duty machines were brought at the site to remove the slabs and dismantle the structure. Pic/Ashish Raje

The Western Railway on Tuesday set in motion the process of rebuilding the Delisle road overbridge (ROB) at Lower Parel railway station. Heavy-duty machinery was brought to the site to speed up the dismantling process, so the reconstruction can begin soon.

"The commissioner of railway safety has given approvals for dismantling [the bridge] and it will take three months to complete the process," said a senior WR official, adding, "On Wednesday, we will select consultants through the quality and cost based selection process, which gives merit to the quality of work over the cost. After the selection, the drawings and planning of the new bridge will commence, which will be finalised by November.

The ROB has been closed for traffic since July 24, after being declared unsafe. File pic

Following that, the final tenders for reconstruction of the railway portion of the bridge shall be invited," he said. Once the process of shifting the utilities is complete, the asphalt will be removed and the metal bridge will be cut in parts with the help of diamond cutters. Since the bridge is placed at a 65-degree curve, it has become difficult to assess which part bears its load. It will be demolished piece by piece and the entire process will take three months.

Preparatory work for the Delisle ROB demolition, like removal of fencing, tiles and kerb stones by using gas cutters and small JCBs had begun in late August. The tender for dismantling of the bridge cost R7.22 crore. The ROB has been closed for traffic since July 24.

Rs 7.22cr
Cost of the tender for dismantling Delisle ROB

Note these diversions
The Mumbai Traffic department has made the following changes to avoid heavy traffic while the demolition and reconstruction process is on:

> North bound commuters coming from KK Road, Race Course, Haji Ali and going towards Saat Rasta will be allowed a right turn from the Mahalaxmi bridge/junction.

> Those travelling from KK Road towards Rakhangi junction and Worli Naka will need to use the slip road under the Mahalaxmi flyover. No straight movement will be allowed from the Mahalaxmi flyover towards Rakhangi Chowk.

> There are no changes in the existing traffic movement from Rakhangi Chowk towards Haji Ali/ Saat Rasta via Mahalaxmi station Flyover. These restrictions are being implemented on an experimental basis. Traffic cops will study the impact of these alterations and decide whether they wish to continue.

- Anurag Kamble

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates