The British-era Carnac bridge located between CSMT and Masjid stations in south Mumbai will return with a new look in 2024. Dismantling and reconstruction work of this bridge will is likely to be completed in 22 months.
The height of the existing bridge (being dismantled) is 4.9 metre which will be replaced by 5.9 metre high bridge. Moreover, the new bridge will be nearly 9 metre wider than the existing bridge. The width of the existing old bridge is 18.2 metre including both side pathways (foot path). The new bridge will be around 27 metre wide including both pathways.
“In place of six spans, the new bridge will have only one span of over 65 metre. The existing bridge has six spans, each around 10 metre,” said a CR official, adding that dismantling work has already started, which will be completed in 90 days.
After the demolition, the BMC will start construction work, which is likely to get complete in 19 months.
Dismantling work is being carried out by the CR and reconstruction work will be carried out by BMC. Asked about the cost, a CR official said, it will be nearly Rs 70 crore, which includes dismantling, and reconstruction of a bridge with an upgraded approach road.
“Since the bridge runs over the tracks that have heavy suburban train traffic, a major part of demolition-dismantling work is being carried out during the night,” said the official adding that during mega blocks (a period when train movement is halted) for maintenance work, dismantling work will be also carried out. Apart from that a 30 hours special traffic block is also planned to remove the girder of the bridge with entire steel structure using cranes.
The bridge was built in 1868 and was declared unsafe by an expert team of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) in 2018, though the movement of heavy vehicles on it was stopped in 2014 itself.
The bridge was completely closed last month following a meeting of railway, traffic police and civic officials, who took into consideration widespread cracks and corrosion on the structure.
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