Gokhale bridge. (Express photo by Santosh Parab)The Mumbai Traffic police on Friday issued an order providing alternate routes to motorists in the wake of the Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge in Andheri being shut from November 7 for any vehicular movement and pedestrians.
The alternate routes for motorists are Khar subway and Milan subway in Khar, Captain Gore flyover Bridge (Parle Bridge) in Vile Parle, Andheri subway in Andheri, Balasaheb Thackeray flyover in Jogeshwari, and Mrunaltai Gore flyover in Goregaon.
The Gokhale bridge, which connects Andheri (East) with Andheri (West), will be shut on the request of the BMC for completion of reconstruction work.
The order issued by deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Traffic, western suburbs, Nitin Pawar reads: “Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has requested to close existing Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge with immediate effect as the said bridge is found unsafe for vehicular traffic.” The order reads, “The bridge will be closed from both sides for all types of Vehicles and Pedestrians from 07/11/2022 ( 00.01 hrs) till further order.”
Recently, Ameet Satam, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Andheri, in a letter to BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal, had demanded that the bridge be closed with immediate effect.
A portion of the bridge had collapsed in 2018, killing two people and injuring three others. It was later revealed that the collapsed portion of the bridge came under the jurisdiction of the Western Railways (WR).
Reconstruction of the 47-year-old rail overbridge aims to smoothen vehicular traffic between Western Express Highway (WEH) and Andheri (West) and Juhu areas. BMC and WR are the implementing agency for the reconstruction project, the total cost of which is Rs 103 crore plus revisions, subject to Railway clearances. The work order for the project was issued in April 2020 with an initial deadline of 18 months. Covid-induced lockdown and wait for Railway clearances were being seen as reasons behind delay in completion of the work.