CSMT FOB to finally open in February

The FOB reconstruction was much awaited by commuters after the FOB, which is at the northern end of CSMT, came crashing down in 2019, killing seven persons and injuring over 30 others. The cost of the entire project was ₹4-5 crore

Come February and CSMT railway commuters will finally get to use the Himalaya FOB (foot over bridge), as the BMC plans to install the girders this weekend after the traffic department gives it the go-ahead. The girders, which were fabricated in Bhubaneswar, have been ready for the past 12 days.

Mumbai, India - Jan. 1, 2020: A view of the Himalaya Bridge under constructed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, January 1, 2020. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The FOB reconstruction was much awaited by commuters after the FOB, which is at the northern end of CSMT, came crashing down in 2019, killing seven persons and injuring over 30 others.

“We are completely prepared and awaiting an NOC from the traffic police,” said a civic official from the BMC’s bridges department. “If they allow us to proceed with the girders this weekend, the traffic will be shut for two nights for 12 hours.”

The work on the escalators at both ends of the FOB, however, will take at least four months more. At present, commuters who use the FOB will have to take the stairs. The work order for the escalators has been released,” said the civic official. The cost of the entire project was ₹4-5 crore.

Commenting on why the project was delayed for three years, the civic official said that the decision to reconstruct the bridge was taken two years after it collapsed. This was on the recommendation of the traffic police to aid the thousands of railway commuters who cross the road after alighting at CSMT station.

“Even after the decision was taken, immediate construction of the FOB wasn’t possible for several reasons,” the official said. “The foundation has to be done first, which takes a lot of time. There are utilities under the roads and footpaths. The water and power supply from the water mains and utilities goes to the nearby buildings. Without disrupting their power and water supply, we needed to involve different departments and make space for the foundation. This is the most tedious and time-consuming work. Once the foundation is laid, the rest is easy. In this project, 85 percent of the work is over. The installing of girders will not take time.”

M/s Pinaki Constructions were the contractors appointed for the project. The new FOB has a warranty period of at least five years.