The construction of the Carnac Bridge near Masjid Bunder railway station, which connects P. D’Mello Road, is progressing rapidly. Approximately 83% of the materials for the second steel girder have already been delivered to the site, with the remaining components expected to arrive by December 20, 2024. If the project stays on schedule, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to open the bridge for traffic by June 5, 2025.
As part of the reconstruction, the southern steel girder, weighing 516 metric tons, was successfully installed over the railway section in the third week of October. On December 12, 2024, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar visited the site to review the progress and provide necessary instructions.
BMC is rebuilding the 154-year-old Carnac Bridge, which is crucial for traffic flow in South Mumbai, connecting areas such as Masjid Bunder, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, and Mohammed Ali Road. The bridge's Lokmanya Tilak Road section was deemed unsafe, prompting the BMC to undertake its reconstruction. A senior civic official explained, “Detailed planning, including the assembly of girder parts, installation work, approach road construction, and load testing, has been scheduled. If all tasks are completed as planned, BMC aims to open the Carnac Bridge for traffic by June 5, 2025.”
Bangar confirmed that 428 metric tons of steel girder components for the second side had been delivered, with the remaining parts expected by December 20, 2024. The assembly of components is set to finish by January 13, 2025, followed by a trial run on January 14, 2025. Central Railway has been requested to provide a block on January 18-19, 2025, to complete the girder installation by January 19, 2025. Coordination with Central Railway is ongoing to meet these deadlines.
After the girder installation, the project will proceed with the piling work for the approach roads on both the east and west sides in phases. The first phase of piling is expected to be completed by March 15, 2025, followed by pillar construction by April 17, 2025, concreting of the approach roads by May 3, 2025, and load testing by June 1, 2025.
To ensure timely completion, parallel works such as the installation of anti-crash barriers and lighting poles will be carried out simultaneously. However, timely approval for the railway block on January 18-19, 2025, remains critical to maintaining the overall schedule.