Gokhale Bridge Reopening: Residents Express Discontent, Slam BMC Over Delay and Lack of Planning

The highly contentious Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge, serving as a pivotal east-west link in Mumbai's Andheri area, opened partially today following a 15-month closure. However, residents of Andheri express discontent over the prolonged delay in the bridge's reopening and its perceived poor design, which fails to integrate seamlessly with the existing infrastructure. Many view the bridge as a clear example of mismanagement by the authorities, stirring controversy and dissatisfaction among locals. From the demolition of the old bridge to the construction of a new one, discrepancies have emerged, as evidenced by letters sent to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation by Andheri residents. These letters underscore concerns about the bridge's inadequate planning, despite the ample time available from 2018, when discussions about its reconstruction began, until 2022, when the plan was initiated. Other major issues highlighted are concerns regarding the condition of newly constructed infrastructure, such as cracks in the cement road surface and gravel protrusions on the asphalt surface of the bridge. Delays and inactivity on the construction of the second side of the bridge, improper space for pedestrian paths, and utility ducts. Height discrepancies between the Barfiwala flyover and the Gokhale Bridge, require potential demolition and reconstruction work.

"We are extremely disappointed that despite drawing attention to all these issues, no improvement is seen at the site. We have been asking to make public a day-to-day schedule for completing 1st phase of Gokhale Bridge and also to appoint a senior officer for day-to-day monitoring of the work but nothing," stated Zoru Bathena in the letter. A recent controversy has emerged around the Barfiwala Bridge, constructed to alleviate traffic congestion on SV Road. Residents have raised concerns about the bridge's failure to seamlessly connect with the newly developed Gokhale Bridge. BMC engineers attribute this challenge to differences in elevation levels between the old and new Gokhale bridges, which have complicated integration with the Barfiwala Flyover.

BMC engineer said, "The old Gokhale bridge's layer was 6.5 meters and now it is 8.5 meters, there is a change in levels, so there is a mismatch in the existing Barfi flyover, but we are working on it to level it up" Residents question why the construction of both bridges wasn't undertaken simultaneously. BMC reasoned with the space issue, and it would have Charged 5% more cost if the bridge was simultaneously built. Prashant Rane, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena local leader and resident of Andheri, said, "From day one, the BMC was aware of the situation. With its ample and technically sound staff, they were fully informed, yet no action was taken. The Barfiwala Flyover was intended to be a bypass and divert traffic coming from SV road in 2011. They are talking about an increased cost of the project, it is going to be the same now given the inflation and increase in the cost of cement and other raw materials."

Deputy Chief Engineer Vivek Kalyankar said, " BMC has sought solutions from IIT Bombay and VJTI to bridge the literal gap between the two flyovers. Once the report is prepared, we will float the tender for the same."  Kalyankar also highlighted the challenges and reasons behind the delay in opening the bridge. He said, "Given the increased height of the bridge, the flooring was a difficult task. The major concern was not availing the raw material as there was labour strike and more such issues. "The Gokhale Bridge has sparked a daily commuting crisis, causing widespread disruption for residents in Andheri East & West, Parla East & West, Jogeshwari East, Juhu, and Versova. For over a year, the bridge's absence crippled commutes, extending travel times from 10 minutes to a staggering 40 minutes through alternate routes. Parents grappled with children reaching school late, and office workers adjusted schedules to accommodate longer commutes. Now that the southern arm of the bridge will be open today, it may provide little relief. However, The northern arm remains under construction, further hindering smooth traffic flow. With this the saga of the Gokhale Bridge continues, leaving residents wondering when their daily commute will finally return to normalcy. 

"Earlier, railway was suppose to built the barfiwala bridge, but then we took the responsibility of it. It is not engineering fault, as per the new redevelopment and modernisation policy of railway, the redeveloped bridge height should be increased by 1.5 meter, so accordingly we constructed this bridge. However, now we are consulting VJTI and IIT Bombay and the report will come within 15 days,"Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Iqbal Chahal said.