Andheri’s Gokhale road bridge closure: Angry residents to hold meeting on Saturday, here's all you need to know

Gokhale bridge was shut on Sunday night. File Pic/Sameer Markande

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday said that the concept of the Gokhale railway bridge in Andheri will be finalised within a week. The Gokhale bridge was shut down for motorists and pedestrians from November 7, following which the commuters have been facing traffic mayhem.

Meanwhile, the Andheri residents have decided to hold a meeting on Saturday to discuss the issue.

Dhaval Shah, an activist, told mid-day.com, "At least one lane should reopen before the monsoon since the Andheri subway often gets flooded, and it will only cause more problems. MLA Ameet Satam will also be present in the meeting on Saturday to discuss the problems being faced by the citizens."

Project phases

In a detailed press release issued on Wednesday, the BMC said, a special request has been made by the BMC administration that IIT Mumbai should take action on the concept plan of the Gokhale railway bridge connecting Andheri east and west and finalise the concept within a week.

The work of Gokhale railway bridge in Andheri will be done in phases.

However, after carrying out a structural audit of the said bridge, as per the advice of the consultants and in view of the dilapidated condition of the bridge after physical inspection, the said bridge has been closed for traffic from November 7, 2022. However, various alternative roads are available for transportation and public awareness has also been created through hoardings so that citizens should use them.

Also Read: Mumbai: Andheri residents take matters into own hands

Civic officials monitor the project's progress

Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) P. Velarasu paid a visit on Wednesday and inspected the premises. Several senior BMC officials were also present at the spot during his visit.

When contacted, Velarasu stated that a detailed press release had been issued in the matter.

During this inspection, the Additional Commissioner gave instructions including-

1) Various metro projects are underway on Swami Vivekananda Marg. The protective walls (barricades) installed for these works should be narrowed so that more space is available for traffic. A request has been made to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The Metropolitan Commissioner of MMRDA has accepted this request.

2) The Deputy Commissioner (Circle 4) has been directed to remove hawkers and encroachments from alternative routes available for traffic within two days. Similarly, instructions have also been given to ensure that vehicles are not parked illegally on alternate routes.

3) To ensure a smooth flow of traffic on alternate routes, instructions have been given to both the assistant commissioners that the roads should be resurfaced immediately where necessary. This work should be done at night so that the traffic will not be disturbed.

4) The concept plan (design) of the Gokhale railway bridge has been given to IIT Mumbai for re-examination. The BMC has contacted IIT Mumbai to take immediate action on the concept and finalise it. IIT Mumbai has agreed to finalise the said concept within a week. As soon as the concept is received with final approval, further administrative action will be taken up immediately through the bridge department of the Municipal Corporation.

5) The work on the aforementioned bridge has been prioritised and two lanes will be opened for traffic by May 2023. The remaining two routes will be made available by September 2023.

Meanwhile, the BMC is going to keep a close eye on the alternative routes made available for traffic in this area. Also, care is being taken to ensure that the traffic on these alternative routes remains smooth.

In terms of manpower, an additional 200 people have been assigned to help with traffic police.

BMC's action plan

Hawkers and encroachments are obstructing alternative routes and traffic will be removed within the next two days.

An additional 200 troops have been deployed to help the traffic police.

Commuters, office-goers face traffic hassles

The locals said that it is not just a day's problem, but it will go on for two or more years until the bridge is opened again after reconstruction.

The Mumbai traffic police have stationed additional officials around Andheri to control the traffic and ensure smooth traffic flow. However, the increasing vehicular traffic movements would still lead to traffic snarls.

Arvind Kushalkar, a resident of Andheri who travels to Sakinaka for work told mid-day.com, "It takes me around 40 minutes to reach Sakinaka when I travel by bike. After the Gokhale bridge was closed, it took me around an hour just to reach Mograpada from Andheri west. The traffic is massive on all the roads around Andheri and the traffic cops have stationed additional officials, but the traffic is still increasing as the volume of traffic on a specific route has increased."

Another local resident Anil Pawar, said, "I have been frequently using Gokhale bridge for many years now. This is the most convenient bridge for commuters travelling from west to east and vice-versa. On Sunday the bridge was closed at night due to traffic issues that began around the area. Many people are taking the alternate route, which has led to traffic jams around Andheri."

Also Read: Gokhale Bridge closure: All alternative routes get jammed on Day 1

The 2018 tragedy

The Gokhale bridge connects Andheri east and Andheri west. Before being closed to traffic, the bridge was being used by thousands of commuters every day. On July 3, 2018, the pedestrian section of the bridge collapsed. It caused the deaths of two people and injuries to three others. The portion of the bridge which had crashed was under the jurisdiction of the railways.

MLA Ameet Satam said, "In 2018, after the incident, the work was to begin but it got delayed due to many reasons including the Covid-19 pandemic. I have been in touch with the civic officials and have also appealed to complete the work as soon as possible. Until then, I appeal to the motorists and the local residents have patience."

Traffic police deploy additional force

The Mumbai Traffic Police have stationed additional officials to tackle the traffic on the optional routes. According to a recent traffic the police stated that the Gokhale bridge had been declared dangerous and BMC has planned to demolish the bridge and reconstruct it. The Mumbai Traffic Police have suggested six alternative routes for the motorists.

According to the traffic police, the BMC had requested to close the existing Gokhale bridge with immediate effect as the said bridge was found unsafe for vehicular traffic.

An order issued by Nitin Pawar, DCP, traffic, western suburbs, said, "In view of the safety of the people, the Gokhale bridge at Andheri is closed from both sides for all types of vehicles and pedestrians from November 7, until further orders."

Six alternate routes for vehicular movements

The Mumbai traffic police has issued six alternate routes for vehicular movements. The order further said that in view of the prohibitory order, people can use alternative routes.

- Khar Subway, Khar

- Milan Subway flyover Bridge, Santacruz, Mumbai

- Captain Gore flyover Bridge (Parle Bridge ), Vile Parle, Mumbai

- Andheri Subway, Andheri, Mumbai

- Balasaheb Thackeray flyover Bridge, Jogeshwari, Mumbai

- Mrinaltai Gore flyover Bridge, Goregaon, Mumbai.