Gokhale Bridge is Falling Down

In kinder garten we learnt a Nursery Rhyme  "London Bridge Is Falling Down"
Today we are in a state of disbelief when one of the main connectors of the East-West corridor is crumbling. Below are some of the tit bits gathered from the various
chats and news cuttings

The Gokhale Bridge Saga or Scam

2018 – Pedestrian walkway adjacent to the flyover collapsed

            Next few months – entire flyover closed

            Then reopened for a short while

2019 – East and West bound lanes were alternatively closed under the pretext of
repairing the walkway

2020 – Flyover reopened and voila – the pedestrian walkway was not repaired at all.
Instead width ofthe existing flyover was reduced and the pedestrian walkway was made
on part of the road. For this they took a year and God knows the budget?

2020 – after a few months, the east bound lanes were once again shut and the road from
the east of the tracks were demolished, ostensibly to build a new bridge, lane – by -lane.
Subsequently no work seemed to be done for over 18 months except breaking of the lane to the east of the tracks and a few new pillars (in two years).
Even the new flyover coming from Juhu Lane to the flyover was closed causing
immense traffic jams, waste of time and fuel.

2020 – Work commenced on new flyover from Western Express Highway to the start
of the Gokhale Flyover East end. This used to be a wide 8 lane road and then till datewe are left with a single pot-holed lane. The only advantage of this flyover is for trafficfrom the sparsely used perpendicular Telli Gully which contributes to less than 5% ofthe through traffic. Why was this flyover even needed?
And was this more important than the Gokhale flyover?

30-Oct-2022 – Morbi bridge collapses

4-Nov-2022 – Powers that be suddenly realise that this flyover could also collapse
and orders bridge  closure – a CYA tactic?

7-Nov-22 – Bridge is closed leading to utter chaos for millions of residents,
school-children, patients!

Update as on 11th November @ 7:00 pm

1. Yesterday 10 tu Nov Hon Dy CM Shri  Devendra Fadnavis ji spoke to
Honble Railway Minister Shri Ashvini Vaishnavji requesting fast expedition of Gokhale bridge  work
2. To follow it up, today a high level meeting of BMC, railways and Traffic dept was called by Hon Guardian Minister Shri Mangalprabhat Lodhaji

at MLA Ameet Satam's request  to execute and implement the measures.

3. It was first decided to seek a 2nd opinion on the structural report & evaluate

if one lane can be used fr pedestrians, autos and 2 wheelers by giving some

external support subject to structural clearance. The same wil b done in 8 days. 

4. Railways will initiate tender fr demolition of existing bridge one portion and

get the work completed latest by end Feb 23. 

5. BMC will float tender tomorrow for reconstruction and making of pre cast material

of new bridge will start simultaneously as the bridge is being demolished.

6. In march23, BMC will start work of  assembly of pre cast material on site and

complete work by end may.

7. It is targetted to start Single lane of going and coming of bridge in June. 

Special Thanks to Dy CM Devendraji for taking up this on fast track with Railways Minister,

MLA Ameet Satam for taking up the issue of bridge to save from any mishap and

then taking up for fast track actions along with all concerned authorities.

Thanks to Guardian Min Mangal prabhat Lodhaji fo all support.#BJP for safety of citizens and also to facilitate quicker solution for present crisis
of traffic due to closure of Gokhale bridge.

Regards,

 Abhijit Samant 

Ex Corporator Ward 84

https://twitter.com/AndheriLOCA/status/1591669160207323136?s=19

1) in 2019, BMC issued a Tender to
Demolish & Reconstruct the Municipal Portions of Gokhale Bridge

2) work was to be completed in 18 mths

3) Scope of work- to construct new bridges on east & west sides
(on Municipal Portion of Gokhale bridge)

4) work was to be done in Phases, so no traffic was disrupted

5) design of East & West sides of bridge were finalised

6) Three years later,
has anyone seen a ready bridge on any side of Gokhale Bridge?

7) approach bridges (on Municipal portion) are not yet completed, even after three years.

Assuming Railway part of bridge gets ready in 8 mths, as now promised......,
can the main bridge be used without approach bridges getting ready? 

And what stopped the approach bridges from getting ready all these years?

Answer to this question, may unravel much about this Gokhale Bridge saga

https://www.timesnownews.com/mumbai/mumbai-bmc-plans-to-allow-autos-

and-bikes-on-one-lane-of-gokhale-bridge-resurfaces-alternate-routes-article-95497353 

https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-caught-in-traffic-school-buses-seek-change-in-timings-23255545

Gokhale bridge update

Railways has floated tender yesterday of 14 days for Gokhale bridge demolition. 

BMC has floated tender for new bridge construction and work order wil b floated in 1st week of December. 

Ameet Satam MLA

After reading this comment, are we the Citizens being played by Two sides of the same Coin. In this one upmanship, we are the sufferers.

Gokhale bridge update

Did site inspection of work at Gokhale Bridge today with BMC & railway officials as well as both contractors.

Work of demolition of bridge on railway tracks is in progress by railway contractor in 4 phases. First phase complete and entire work is targetted to he complete by 20th March. 

The BMC contractor has started work of fabrication and will start work on site after railway demolition work is over. They wil take max 3 months to start traffic one side once they start. Trying to squeeze it to 2 months so that we start one side traffic in June. 

We wil take another review of progress after a month.

Ameet Satam MLA

Half-way done! Cross beams and ribs being slowly removed from Gokhale Road Bridge railway portion every night. West side is done and once all are taken out, the entire frame will be removed at one go.

Do return for updates as the story unfolds