Dombivli railway over bridge in Thane to reopen for commuters on Tuesday

The bridge was shut on September 15, 2019 for vehicular traffic after it was declared unsafe by the Central Railway

The prolonged wait for smooth connectivity between Kalyan and Dombivli will come to an end on Tuesday afternoon with Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray inaugurating the railway over bridge (ROB) connecting Dombivli east and west in Thane district through video conferencing.

The reopening of railway over bridge connecting Dombivli east and west in Thane will ease traffic congestion and smoothen journey to Kalyan. (Photo by Rishikesh Choudhary/ Hindustan Times)

The bridge was under construction for the last 2 years since its partial dismantling in 2019 and is considered vital for free flow of vehicular traffic in Dombivli.

“The bridge is ready and it will be set open to vehicular traffic on Tuesday after the inauguration ceremony,” said an officer of Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), requesting anonymity.

The bridge was shut on September 15, 2019 for vehicular traffic after it was declared unsafe by the Central Railway (CR). In April 2020, the slab of the bridge was dismantled and the railways undertook the work of repairing the girders and laying a new slab.

A senior KDMC official said the reopening of the bridge will lead to easing of 70% traffic. She also insisted that the repair work was done in “record” time.

“The actual work on the bridge began in April 2020 and we managed to finish it within a record time of 16 months. Initially, it took time to begin the work due to required permissions and tendering process,” said Sapna Koli, city engineer, KDMC.

Rs12 crore was spent on its construction with the Central Railways and KDMC each sharing 50% of the total cost.

“The opening of the bridge will be a major relief to the commuters. The work went on for over two year, people had to use narrow lanes to commute, leading to congestion,” said Ajay Desai, 36, a commuter.