Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, joined by former Mumbai mayors and activists, inaugurated the second carriageway of Delisle Bridge in Lower Parel late Thursday night. This decisive action occurred on the eve of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray's death anniversary, with Thackeray and party leaders, including former mayors Kishori Pednekar and Snehal Ambekar, ex-Worli MLAs Sachin Ahir, and Sunil Shinde, storming the bridge carrying the party flag to emphasize their commitment to public welfare.
Expressing frustration over the delayed official inauguration, Aaditya Thackeray took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his discontent, stating, "Inauguration of Delisle bridge. Now we don’t want VIPs from Khoke Sarkar, the public is suffering…”
Earlier in the day, Thackeray had voiced concerns to an English daily, indicating that they had waited for two days for load testing and lights on the railway's portion to be completed. He warned that if the civic authorities did not open it by Friday, the party, acting as concerned citizens, would take matters into their own hands.
The history of the Delisle Bridge project has been fraught with challenges. In July 2018, the bridge was closed following an IIT-B report declaring it unsafe. The deadline for the new bridge underwent multiple revisions. On June 1, one arm of the bridge, connecting Ganpatrao Kadam Marg with N M Joshi Marg, was opened for traffic. In a strategic move ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi on September 17, BMC opened a portion of the second arm of the bridge, linking Lower Parel with Currey Road. Despite the completion of the bridge's construction, BMC officials remained non-committal regarding the official inauguration date of the second carriageway. The proactive move by Shiv Sena (UBT) underscores their commitment to addressing public concerns and infrastructure challenges in the city.