Mumbai: Carnac bridge gets first 58 metre girder in place

The BMC completed assembly of the girder recently. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) successfully launched the first 58-metre girder of the Carnac Bunder Bridge over the railway tracks at midnight on October 13. The remaining 12-metre section of the girder will connect to the structure within the next seven days.

The BMC closed the bridge for traffic in September 2022 and dismantled it in November 2022. Construction on the new bridge began in 2023, with an estimated project cost of Rs 53 crore. According to civic documents, the bridge was initially slated for completion by March 2025, but delays have pushed the expected completion to the end of 2025.

"The first girder was ready for launch, and we requested a mega block from the Central Railway authority, but the request was denied due to the monsoon season," said a BMC official. The second girder is expected to be launched by December 2024. "Work on the approach road will begin next week," the official added.

The girder is 70 metres long, 9.50 metres wide, and weighs 550 metric tonnes. In the absence of the bridge, the areas around Mohammad Ali Road and Wadi Bunder have been impacted, particularly pedestrian movement.