Traffic chaos alert: Gokhale bridge approach roads to be razed

The 70-m long bridge, built in 1975, is a crucial east-west connector, linking SV Road to NS Phadke Marg.

Motorists are likely to face increased traffic in Andheri in the coming days as the civic body is set to demolish and reconstruct the approach roads leading to Gokhale bridge, more than a year after a portion of it collapsed, killing two people.

Gokhale foot over-bridge collapse due to heavy rain at Andheri in Mumbai, on Tuesday, July 3, 2018. (Photo by Satyabrata Tripathy/Hindustan Times)

The 70-m long bridge, built in 1975, is a crucial east-west connector, linking SV Road to NS Phadke Marg. On Friday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) invited bids for the demolition and reconstruction work, which is expected to cost ₹87 crore.

According to the tender conditions, the work on the approach roads, totally 225m to 230m in length, needs to be completed within 18 months, including the monsoon. A senior civic official said the approach roads on both sides of the bridge are in a dilapidated condition and need to be reconstructed. “So as to not disrupt traffic on the bridge, the work will be done in phases. Only the approach roads are under the BMC’s jurisdiction; the portion above the tracks is with the Railways.”