The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) aims to merge the Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge with the Barfiwala Flyover by seeking Election Commission of India (ECI) permission to expedite construction during the code of conduct period. Costing INR 8 crore, the merge involves lifting the last four spans of the flyover to align with the bridge. Veermata Jeejabai Technological Institute (VJTI) confirmed the feasibility in their report, estimating a 90-day process. The BMC awaits a second opinion from IIT-Bombay before floating tenders. The Gokhale Bridge's elevation, due to railway guidelines, caused misalignment with the flyover, constructed in 2008, prompting the merge for seamless connectivity.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to speed up the merging of the newly opened Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge with the Barfiwala Flyover. They aim to get approval from the Election Commission of India (ECI) during the code of conduct period.
Estimated to cost INR 8 crore, the merge involves connecting the two arms of the flyover with the Gokhale Bridge without tearing down any structures, as confirmed by the Veermata Jeejabai Technological Institute (VJTI) in their technical report. VJTI suggests lifting and adjusting the last four spans of the Barfiwala Flyover to match the bridges' profile. The entire alignment process is expected to take around 90 days, according to VJTI's assessment.
Civic authorities are seeking a second opinion from IIT-Bombay before moving forward with the tendering process. Tendering will start after receiving IIT-B's report.
The Barfiwala Flyover, built in 2008 and connecting to the north-south arms of the old Gokhale Bridge from Juhu, was replaced in February of this year. However, the new Gokhale Bridge, built to meet railway guidelines requiring a height of six meters, caused alignment problems with the Barfiwala Flyover.
An official expressed the intention to merge the two bridges before the full operationalisation of the Gokhale Bridge's second arm, scheduled for December 2024. This urgency shows the BMC's proactive approach to streamline connectivity infrastructure within the city. To facilitate the process, the BMC aims to float a short tender, subject to ECI approval, to expedite the alignment works.
The alignment efforts are crucial to seamlessly integrate the Gokhale Bridge and the Barfiwala Flyover, improving transportation efficiency and safety for commuters. The BMC is seeking expert advice from institutions like VJTI and IIT-Bombay to ensure precise and effective urban infrastructure development. As the process continues, stakeholders expect significant progress towards achieving smooth connectivity between these important transport routes in Mumbai's infrastructure.
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