Mumbai: After taking over from MMRDA, BMC to audit city bridges

A traffic jam near the Andheri Metro station on January 30. Pic/Sameer Markande

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to conduct a structural audit of every flyover, culvert and foot overbridge (FOB) on both the Eastern and Western Express Highways. Last year, the Mumbai Metropolitan Development Authority (MMRDA) handed over both stretches to the civic body.

An official from the roads department said, "We decided to conduct the audit as some flyovers are nearly two decades old." "Also, we need to maintain records of flyovers and other structures on the highways as they have been handed over to us by the MMRDA," the official said.

According to civic officials, some flyovers are nearly two decades old. Representation Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

"The estimated cost of the audit is around Rs 90 lakh and we have decided to appoint a government institute to conduct it," the official added. The BMC will come to know the nature of repairs required for each bridge. "On the basis of the audit report we can undertake repair work," the official said.

In total, there are about 60 flyovers, culverts and FOBs on the Western Express Highway, which links Bandra and Dahisar, while its eastern counterpart - which runs from Sion to Mulund - has 20 in all. Meanwhile, the BMC has decided to decongest nine major junctions on both expressways. The civic body has decided to construct underpasses, double-decker bridges and horizontal roads.

Of the nine major junctions, the Hanuman Road, Sudhir Phadke flyover and Milan subway junctions in Vile Parle, Dahisar and Andheri respectively are on the Western Express Highway while the Airoli, JVLR at Powai, Ghatkopar, Chheda Nagar and U-turn junctions for solid waste vehicles at Kanjurmarg and the BKC connector extension are on the Eastern Express Highway.

60
No of flyovers, culverts, FOBs on the WEH

Rs 90 lakh
Estimated cost of structural audit of bridges