Mumbai: Gokhale bridge now put on fast-track

Gokhale bridge work scheduled for completion on April 30, 2025. Pic/Shadab Khan

After a slow start to the first side of the Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge at Andheri, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is in fast-track mode to put the second girder in place. There will be three ‘night blocks' on the existing side for the removal of steel beams laid over the second girder.

The second girder was moved from the East to West side over the railway track during the intervening night of September 8 and September 9, without any specific block. Now the traffic police have announced that Gokhale bridge will be closed for all types of vehicular and pedestrian movement from 12 am to 4 am - from September 13 to September 15 - for urgent work to carry out the trial run of the second open web girder.

The work such as removal of steel beams laid over the north portion of the bridge will be done during this period. Commuters travelling from Andheri East and Andheri West may take Captain Vinayak Gore Bridge. Commuters travelling from Jogeshwari East and Jogeshwari West can use Balasaheb Thackeray Flyover. There is also the option of the Andheri subway.

Of the 90 metres, the second girder was moved 25 metres during the intervening night of September 4 and September 5. The girder is currently at a height of 14-15 metres from the ground and will be lowered to 7.5 metres. After the girders are installed, additional works such as crash barriers, asphalting, installation of streetlights, and road markings are scheduled for completion by April 30, 2025.

The Gokhale bridge - connecting Andheri East and Andheri West - was declared dilapidated and closed in November 2022. The BMC initially aimed to open two lanes for traffic after launching the first girder by May 2023, but the project was delayed by 10 months. The first half of the bridge finally became operational on February 26, 2024. Currently, the work is progressing rapidly.