After a 15-day delay, construction has resumed on Mumbai’s much-anticipated Carnac Bridge, which had stalled due to a setback in the delivery of crucial steel girders. These structural components, initially expected by 30 April, only arrived on 10 May. As a consequence, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has levied a penalty of ₹1.8 crore on the contractor responsible. Despite the delay, civic authorities have confirmed that the bridge is still scheduled to open to vehicular traffic by 10 June, as originally planned.
Abhijit Bangar, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects), explained that the BMC had warned the contractor during an inspection last month that penalties would apply if girders failed to arrive on time. A fine of ₹10 lakh per day was to be imposed for delays beyond 30 April, doubling to ₹20 lakh per day from 2 May onwards. With the girders arriving on 10 May, the total penalty amounted to ₹1.8 crore.Bangar described the delay as “avoidable”, noting that BMC engineers had been stationed at the fabrication site in Daman to supervise the process. “The work isn’t particularly complex,” he added. “If the reasons for delay were valid, we wouldn’t have imposed a penalty.
”The BMC is currently installing 30 steel girders, which form the foundation for the approach roads and central carriageway. Once completed, the road surface will be levelled, and final surfacing will commence. The new bridge, replacing the 19th-century Carnac Bridge demolished in 2022, will feature four lanes—double the capacity of its predecessor—and incorporate modern lighting and signage. It is expected to significantly ease congestion in South Mumbai, providing a crucial east–west link for daily commuters. Civic officials remain optimistic about meeting the deadline.
Source: The Free Press Journal.
