A strategic block has been scheduled for the launch of girders on Gokhale Bridge, linking SV Road and Western Express Highway in Andheri.
Mumbai is set to experience a temporary disruption as the Western Railway (WR) plans a 20-day suspension of train services starting November 27. The pause is orchestrated to facilitate the launch of a girder for the Gokhale Bridge, currently under construction to connect SV Road and the Western Express Highway at Andheri.
A strategic block has been scheduled for the launch of girders on Gokhale Bridge, linking SV Road and Western Express Highway in Andheri, according to multiple media reports. The block is set for a brief three-hour window during the night.
Although specific details about the affected trains are yet to be disclosed, Sumit Thakur, the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Western Railway, assured that the planned blocks would be executed during nighttime to minimise the impact on train services.
Gokhale Bridge construction work
The under-construction Gokhale Bridge’s girder, spanning an impressive 90 meters, is poised to become the city’s second-largest railway bridge. Assembled on-site, the girder will be launched at a height of 25 meters from the ground level. This intricate operation will involve lifting the girder, weighing around 1,300 tonnes, with a special crane.
Originally built in 1975, the Gokhale Bridge, measuring 80 meters in length and 25 meters in width, is undergoing reconstruction as a new road overbridge at an estimated cost of approximately ₹90 crore. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) aims to partially open the bridge in February 2024, despite the initial deadline being November 2023.
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The demolition of the Gokhale Bridge by Western Railway commenced in December 2022 and took four months to complete. The decision to reconstruct the bridge arose from an inspection conducted in November 2022, which revealed severe distress in various elements of the structure due to corrosion over the years.
In July 2018, the pavement of the Gokhale Bridge collapsed, emphasising the urgent need for reconstruction. The BMC deemed the bridge unsafe and decided to undertake the reconstruction project.
Temporary train service disruption between Valsad and Dungri
Meanwhile, Western Railway announced the cancellation of a few trains on both the Up and Down main lines between Valsad and Dungri for two hours on November 23. This disruption was due to the launch of a girder for a railway overbridge, affecting train services in the specified stretch between 11:10 AM and 1:10 PM on Thursday.
