Mumbai: Andheri Traffic Woes To End Soon as Barfiwala Flyover and Gokhale Bridge Connection Set To Open on July 1

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to open the northern arms of both the C.D. Barfiwala and recently resurfaced Gopal Krishna Gokhale flyovers to traffic on July 1, 2024. The work of lifting and aligning both flyovers has been completed, and concrete curing is currently underway.

“A challenging task of lifting and aligning the segment of the C.D. Barfiwala Flyover to the level of the Gopal Krishna Gokhale Flyover using hydraulic jacks and MS stool packing has been successfully completed,” said a senior civic official. The segment of the C.D. Barfiwala Flyover was lifted 1,397 millimetres on one side and 650 millimetres on the other to align with the Gopal Krishna Gokhale Flyover. Now, the work of concrete curing is underway to ensure both flyovers can open to traffic on July 1, 2024.

“The curing process will take approximately 14 days. High-quality concrete was used to expedite the work. After this, a load test will be conducted on the bridge within 24 hours. The joint work of the flyovers is expected to be completed soon. Necessary preparations for opening the flyovers to traffic will be carried out according to the previously determined phases,” said the official.

Earlier, municipal commissioner and administrator Bhushan Gagrani directed the rapid completion of the connection work between the Gopal Krishna Gokhale and the C.D. Barfiwala flyovers, which are crucial for traffic between Andheri East and West.

Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects), Abhijit Bangar, also instructed that these works be completed within the scheduled timeframe.

After the stitching concrete work, which is necessary for connecting both flyovers, was completed, a rain-free period of six consecutive hours was crucial. Remarkably, after the work was finished, there was no rainfall for over 12 hours in the area, allowing the concreting and stitching work to proceed without interruption. This favourable weather was instrumental in the successful completion of this task.

How the Two Flyovers Were Connected

To lift the C.D. Barfiwala Flyover 1,397 millimeters on one side and 650 millimeters on the other, hydraulic jacks and MS stool packing were used. Additionally, pedestals were placed under the C.D. Barfiwala Flyover. Using two pedestals, the section to be connected was raised 1,397 millimeters. Six new bearings were also installed.

It was crucial for the bolts of the pedestals to align perfectly with the pillars of the C.D. Barfiwala Flyover. This challenging task was completed with precision within a margin of just 2 millimeters by the technical team of the bridge department and consultants. The task was executed under the supervision of technical consultants from the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), IIT, and Structronics Consulting Engineers.