BMC completes transfer of girder from southern side of Gokhale Bridge

The iron beam was entirely relocated on September 8/ BMC

The operation to transfer the girder on the southern side of the Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge, which connects the east-west part of Andheri, was completed successfully on the night of September 8, 2024. The girder, which is currently 90 meters above the earth, will be gradually lowered to 8 meters in the next few days. To ensure safety, this highly demanding endeavour will necessitate the involvement of professional engineers. After the beam reaches the planned height, work on the corridor will continue with authorisation from the Western Railway Administration, the BMC said in their media statement.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is working closely with Western Railway to get the necessary blocks to complete the project, they added.

The first phase of the bridge, which connects Andheri East and West, has been completed, and the segment will open to light traffic on February 26, 2024. The focus now is on installing the second beam. On September 4, 2024, the beam on the railway section was raised to a height of 25 meters. By September 9, 2024, the remaining 65 meters had been successfully shifted, the BMC further said.

Commissioner and Administrator of the BMC, Bhushan Gagrani oversaw the proceedings, which gained support from the Western Railway administration. The beam installation was accomplished after addressing technical and safety considerations, such as rail traffic and power shortages. M/s RITES Limited handled the project, which was executed using a Western Railway Authority-approved design, the BMC media state.

In the following phase, the iron beam on the southern side was connected to the eastern side of the railway track, 14 to 15 meters above ground. The beam will be lowered to 8 metres and supported by RCC columns alongside the road. This is the first time in India that a beam has been dropped from such a high point during bridge construction, especially in a bustling railway hub like Mumbai.

Following the beam installation, additional projects such as crash barriers, road surfaces, street lights, and lane markings will be completed. The second phase of the railway overbridge is expected to be finished by November 14, 2024, with the approach road within municipal jurisdiction by April 30, 2025.

Additional Municipal Commissioner (Project) Abhijit Bangar stated that the girder's successful installation is a significant milestone. The BMC will continue to coordinate with the railway administration to complete the remaining work safely and on time.