Months following the huge engineering debacle, the Barfiwala flyover now connects with the Gokhale bridge
CD Barfiwala bridge connecting to Gokhale bridge, Andheri. Pics/Ashish Raje
The Barfiwala flyover, which connects to the Gokhale Bridge in Andheri, finally opened on Thursday evening. Originally scheduled to open on July 1, the connector was misaligned with the newly built bridge. The second part of the Gokhale bridge will take nearly 10 months to complete, during which the second arm of the Barfiwala flyover will be connected.
The misalignment of the Barfiwala connector with the Gokhale bridge became a national issue. A four-foot gap emerged between the two structures after the approach road for the bridge was reconstructed on the western side of Andheri.
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The route opened for traffic after receiving an NOC from VJTI
Initially, the BMC considered rebuilding the connector, but this plan faced strong opposition from commuters due to the high cost and lengthy construction period. Instead, based on the advice of VJTI and IIT, the BMC decided to raise the two spans of the C D Barfiwala flyover. Realignment work began on April 12 and was expected to be completed last week.
VJTI issued a no objection certificate (NOC) to the municipal administration late Sunday night, allowing traffic to begin on the route. Additional work and tests related to traffic management required four more days. Consequently, the west-to-east route opened for traffic from Juhu towards Andheri on July 4 at 5 pm. The BMC claimed it successfully connected the two bridges within a record time of 78 days.
Currently, only light vehicles are permitted on the Barfiwala and Gokhale bridges due to ongoing work on the second phase of the Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge in the railway area. Height barriers have been installed to restrict heavy vehicles. Work on the southern section of the main Gokhale bridge is underway and expected to be completed by March 2025. The BMC is also working on connecting the southern route to the Barfiwala bridge.
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