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Mumbai: Two more bridges need immediate attention

While the one in Byculla can wait for some time, Patripul in Kalyan needs to be shut right away

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The Byculla Bridge
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Two bridges in Byculla and Kalyan need immediate attention. While the need to stop vehicular traffic on the Byculla bridge is being mulled over, the one at Kalyan aka Patripul is likely to be permanently demolished just like Delisle Bridge in Lower Parel.

On Sunday, engineers from railways and IIT Bombay inspected the stretch between Dadar and CSMT during the 5-hour mega block carried out by the Central Railway.

Sources said that the condition of the Byculla Bridge is not as bad as Delisle Bridge in Lower Parel, but may corrode just as much. "As of now, there are no plans of shutting it for heavy vehicles. However, we may do so in the future, only after talking to the concerned agencies," said a railway official.

It is claimed that the Byculla Bridge cannot bear the load of heavy vehicles such as trucks, tempos, tankers, buses, etc, as it is also corroding. The bridge is skewed at somewhere around 35 degrees and the steel joints holding the girders are corroded. This is a vital bridge that connects local markets and leads to JJ Hospital, Jacob Circle, Lalbaug, and other business areas around by virtue of being situated over rail tracks.

There are also several mini truck terminals further south where trucks and tempos go. This implies that the situation in central and southern Mumbai is likely to worsen further. The closure of Delisle Bridge has proved nightmarish vis-a-vis traffic already.

The one at Kalyan is worse and needs to be shut down immediately. "Patripul needs to be shut right away. As per our observation, it is still being used by vehicles despite a new bridge being built in 2001," said Professor Pradipta Banerji, who is chairing the committee on behalf of Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and is inspecting the 445 bridges.

Sources in the Central Railway said that there is already a proposal for demolishing it. In fact, a couple of days ago, yet another vehicle barged into the barrier put up on the old bridge. As of now, only two and three wheelers are allowed on this bridge. There is significant corrosion in the girders and the support below is missing at few locations, making it dangerous.

TIME TO ACT

  • Patripool in Kalyan needs to be shut right away as there is significant corrosion in the girders and the support below is missing at few locations.
     
  • While closing the Byculla Bridge is being mulled over, taking such a step is likely to disrupt southern and central Mumbai traffic further.
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