Officials looking to complete approach road work by mid-February to finish project on time
Several deadlines set for the Gokhale bridge work have lapsed. Pics/Nimesh Dave
The BMC still has a chance to meet the deadline to complete the Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge work. If the civic body manages to complete the last pier on both approaches by mid-February then the project work can be completed by April-end. According to a BMC official, lowering of the girder over the railway portion has been completed. The final work of installing a pier on approach roads on both sides is pending. “If we complete this task by mid-February, we can complete work by the end of April 2025. We are hoping the task will be completed in time,” the official told mid-day.
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Only work of installing the last pier on both approach roads remains
“It will be difficult to complete the project by the deadline if the setting up of piers is delayed,” the official added. Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar said, “Civic officials are closely monitoring the progress of the work. Our priority is to complete the work within the stipulated time.” Meanwhile, lowering of second girder over the railway line was supposed to be completed by November 2024, which was eventually completed in the last week of December 2024. However, officials asserted that this delay hasn’t affected the deadline. So far, several deadlines set for the Gokhale bridge work have lapsed. These include an assurance to complete two lanes by May 2023 and four lanes by the end of 2023, which the BMC failed to do.
Declaring the Gokhale bridge dilapidated, the BMC closed it in November 2022 and assured that it would be completed by May 2023. After rigorous foll ow-ups from citizens, the BMC started two lanes of the bridge on February 26, 2024, with height restrictions. Currently, only light vehicles can ply on the bridge. It is not yet open for buses. Dhaval Shah, director of the Andheri Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association, said, “We are witnessing the work progress at a rapid pace. However, we doubt the work will be completed by the April deadline due to the delay in girder lowering. We estimate a May-end opening.”
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