Following a recent structural analysis that found the bridge to be in need of replacement, the local government made the decision to close it.
An important east-west route will be closed from Monday for at least two years in Andheri, Maharashtra's Mumbai. The Gokhale Bridge will be closed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, and a new bridge will be built in place of the damaged one. The alternate routes and traffic arrangements will be made public following a meeting of the authorities.
Following a recent structural analysis that found the bridge to be in need of replacement and on one of the busiest roads in the suburb, the local government made the decision to close it. The bridge has been rated "dangerous and unsafe" by the consulting company the BMC contracted to assess bridges every six months, and it has been recommended that it be closed to all transportation.
BMC had requested an evaluation of all the Mumbai bridges by IIT-Bombay following the partial collapse in July 2018. Gokhale Bridge was only made accessible for vehicular traffic in part, which caused congestion in the area. The structural audit study states that the operating component of the bridge has structural cracks and that the steel reinforcements inside the cement have deteriorated, endangering the lives of commuters.
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The Municipal corporation has written to the traffic police authorities asking them to investigate the potential for traffic congestion in the area right away and come up with a solution. The agency would have a plan in place within the next several days, according to the deputy commissioner of traffic police.
Ameet Satam, the MLA for Andheri West, visited the bridge on Tuesday with BMC personnel and structural specialists. He then requested in writing to the municipal commissioner that the bridge be completely closed, Hindustan reported. “The existing bridge is in extremely dangerous condition and may lead to a mishap any moment. It should be immediately closed down. We are all aware that the railway line is running below the bridge which makes the situation even more grave,” he wrote in the letter. Additionally, Satam stated that the BMC should complete the contracting process in the following two months and that the bridge should be ready by 2024.
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