Mumbai: Central Railway starts dismantling Carnac Bunder bridge

A man and machine rip up concrete chunks from Carnac Bunder bridge on Friday

The Central Railway on Friday started the demolition of the Carnac Bunder bridge. It is expected to take three months to completely pull down the structure. Railway officials said no train services would be hampered during the initial process of removal.

"Keeping in view the running of suburban trains, CR has decided to do the dismantling in available corridor margin during night time and also during Sunday mega blocks," Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Shivaji Sutar said.

Dismantling of Carnac Bunder bridge underway on Friday

"During these block margins, these works will be carried out: dismantling of parapet; dismantling of vertical columns along parapet; dismantling of concrete of corroded trough; and advance cutting prior to final removal, etc," he said.

Also Read: Mumbai: Carnac Bridge reconstruction hits another roadblock

After the initial phase, Sutar said, a mega block of about 30 hours will be implemented to remove the girder and complete the demolition. "The mega block is being planned in the third month of dismantling. During this block, the entire steel structure will be removed by using cranes."

After the iconic bridge was declared dangerous a few years ago, traffic cops banned heavy vehicles on it. Pic/Ashish Raje

After the over-150-year-old bridge was flagged as "dangerous" by IIT-Bombay in its audit a few years ago with recommendations of immediate closure as it had become a danger for the busy rail traffic passing below, the traffic police had put restrictions on heavy vehicular traffic on the bridge.

Bridge history and relics

The bridge has important markings in Hindi, Gujarati and English with the letters 1868 and the name of the bridge carved on the plaques on all four sides. The railways has promised to save the plaques.

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Age in years of the crumbling Carnac Bunder bridge