Alternative for now-shut Gokhale Road bridge found to be in need of repairs in IIT safety audit
Captain Vinayak Gore flyover needs bearing replacement. File pic
Captain Vinayak Gore flyover near Vile Parle station, which is the closest alternative to closed Gokhale Road bridge for Andheri residents, will be closed post midnight for repair works, WR officials said on Thursday. IIT Bombay, in a recent audit, found damages and recommended repairs.
A recent safety audit conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, found damages in Captain Vinayak Gore flyover and suggested replacement of bearings along with other repairs. For this reason, the bridge needs to be closed for traffic, but only between 1 am and 4 am from April 11 to 26, officials said.
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Dhaval Shah of the Andheri Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens’ Association said that since the closure of Gokhale Road bridge last year, many heavy vehicles have been using the Vile Parle flyover, which is meant for only light vehicles.
Captain Vinayak Gore flyover near Vile Parle rly station. File Pic/Nimesh Dave
“We are glad that preventive maintenance is being planned and information is given out in advance. In the absence of the Gokhale Road bridge, heavy vehicles are using the Captain Vinayak Gore flyover for which it is not designed. This can worsen the wear and tear, which should also be looked at during repair work,” Shah told mid-day.
Also read: Mumbai: Railways almost done dismantling Gokhale bridge
“The bridge will be closed only from 1 am and 4 am, so it won’t be much of an issue. We may have to take the Milan bridge or Andheri subway. The detour would add a maximum of 5-7 minutes at the closure time. In fact, it is good that this [repair] is happening,” Dr C Shah, a resident, said.
However, Varsha Rajesh, another resident, believes it would be a problem for people flying out early in the morning. “People having a 6-am flight and staying in Vile Parle West will have a nightmare. East-west connectivity in Andheri has already taken a beating and this will further add to our woes.”
The BMC closed Gokhale Road bridge, a crucial east-west connector in Andheri, for traffic and pedestrians on November 7 after it was declared dangerous. The BMC is currently undertaking the reconstruction work and aims to open two lanes of the bridge before monsoon.
1 am-4 am
Duration of the repair work from April 11-16
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