CR wants MSRDC to pay ₹18cr for Patripool bridge maintenance

Kalyan

Kalyan

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Although the new Patripool bridge is yet to be completed, the Central Railway has asked the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to deposit ₹18.56 crore for the maintenance and repair works of the bridge.

“We have prepared details of the cost required for maintenance of the bridge and have asked the authority to deposit the money,” said a Central Railway official, who did not wish to be named.

Last month, MSRDC officials reviewed the on-going for Patripool railway overbridge (ROB) and said it will be ready by March 2019.

The MSRDC officials visited Global City company in Hyderabad where the work of making the girders is underway, followed by which they said 50% of the work of the girders is over.

Vehicles ply on a two-lane existing Patripool bridge, after a parallel 104-year-old Patripool bridge was dismantled by the Central Railway (CR) in November 2018, after it was declared unsafe.

The MSRDC is constructing the new bridge.

“We have received the letter from railways and the authority will take a decision soon,” said an MSRDC officer.

As a part of the six-lane widening project of the vital 21-km Kalyan-Shilphata stretch the MSRDC sanctioned a third two-lane Patripool ROB on September 17.

Commuters travelling between Kalyan-Thane-Bhiwandi-Navi Mumbai take the Patripool bridge. The existing bridge is narrow and causes heavy congestion on the Bail Bazaar- Patripool- Suchaknaka- Tata Power lane- that falls on the Kalyan-Shilphata stretch.

It used to takes 30-45 minutes to travel from Kalyan to Shilphata. Now, it takes more than two hours to cover the same distance.