HC to BMC: No repair on Lalbaug flyover till Feb 9

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to not carry out surface repair works on the Lalbaug flyover until February 9. It has also asked the civic body to obtain a structural audit report of the entire flyover.

A division bench of justices Abhay Oka and Anuja Prabhudessai gave the direction while hearing a public interest litigation filed by activist Bhagwanji Rayani, who highlighted the fact that the five-year-old bridge had developed cracks.

The BMC told the court that the structural audit report of the flyover has been sought and is expected to be received by January 31. The court observed that there was no clarity on whether the work would start before that date. Accordingly, it restrained the civic body from carrying out repair work. The 2.48-kilometre flyover between ITC Hotel in Parel and Jijamata Udyan in Byculla was inaugurated in June 2011. The flyover eased one of the most congested stretches on the eastern corridor of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, between Sion and Byculla.

The PIL cited various incidents since the construction of the bridge. In 2010, a cantilever of the under-construction bridge collapsed; a year later, days after the bridge was thrown open, potholes were observed on the bridge surface.

The most recent incident was in November 2016, when a major gap was visible between two slabs. Authorities said the expansion joints had been damaged, with the rubber seal having come off, and they were considering whether the parts had to be replaced or if full-fledged repair was required.