Once Gokhale bridge is shut, commuters will have to battle through Andheri subway and a Vile Parle flyover; both not suited for heavy vehicles, fire trucks
The Amboli subway is one alternative, but it’s shut in the monsoons. The emergency vehicles can’t use it because of low height. Pic/Nimesh Dave
The closure of the Gokhale bridge will leave two “nightmarish’ alternatives for the motorists — the Amboli subway in Andheri and Captain Vinayak Gore Flyover in Vile Parle. Concerned commuters said the subway is mostly shut in the monsoons because of flooding and the flyover is too narrow. Both will choke, especially during peak hours, they added.
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The Amboli subway, also called Andheri subway, and Captain Vinayak Gore Flyover are half a km away from the soon-to-be-shut bridge. mid-day visited the two nearest alternatives on Thursday and spoke to various motorists. Besides the low height issues, the motorists raised concerns about the narrow approach road in the east, which opens in the west on SV Road. Moreover, work on new rail lines is underway at the subway site. “The subway cannot take the whole capacity of the bridge, as it is narrow and is also flooded in the monsoon. Our narrow lanes would be badly congested if the highway traffic is diverted here,” a local resident said.
Captain Vinayak Gore Flyover at Vile Parle is the second option, but it is narrow and heavy vehicles are prohibited. Pic/Nimesh Dave
The Captain Vinayak Gore Flyover near Vile Parle station is small and its approach roads pass through narrow lanes that pass through schools and housing societies. The small lane would be heavily congested when the Gokhale traffic is diverted here. There is a third option — Balasaheb Thackeray flyover near Oshiwara. The flyover is wide enough for all kinds of vehicles, but it is 1.5 km away from Gokhale bridge. Residents fear once Gokhale bridge is shut, the entire traffic between Vile Parle and Jogeshwari will choke.
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It’d be a painful commute
Andheri resident Prashant Champaneri, who has been running a sustained social media campaign for over 100 days now for quick work on Gokhale Road bridge, said, “The life and time of the masses has been taken for granted. I cannot understand what they were doing for the past four years [it was partially shut after a portion collapsed in 2018]. It is the duty of those we voted to power to fix the public’s problems. Instead, they are closing the bridge for another two years, creating even bigger traffic issues. What is the guarantee they will complete the work in two years?”
Mona Muni, an HR manager who travels on the route daily, said, “Travelling from east to west of Andheri is not going to be easy once the bridge is shut. It will be a huge battle every day, and inconvenience in the monsoons. Commuting would be painful.” Dhaval Shah, citizen activist and co-founder of Lokhandwala-Oshiwara Citizens Association (LOCA), said, “Gokhale bridge is like a jugular vein for Andheri residents, as it is the only bridge that can handle both light and heavy vehicles. It is the only road for emergency vehicles, like fire fighting engines and ambulances.”
“The Gokhale bridge, before a portion collapsed, was very wide. At present, it is operational to its 1/3rd capacity. When it will be completely shut, the only options would be Amboli subway that has serpentine access in the east and gets closed in the monsoon, and Captain Vinayak Gore Flyover that cannot take heavy vehicles and has narrow roads in the west, and is very crowded during school hours.”
Entrepreneur Karan Jotwani, who commutes from Marol to Oshiwara, said, “It used to take me an hour or so to travel from Marol to Oshiwara after Gokhale bridge was partially shut. Now, my commute would be more chaotic, as we will have to take the Andheri subway. Monsoons will be the worst, as the subway is shut because of flooding.”
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