A new Rs 350-crore cable-stayed bridge under construction in Ghatkopar is expected to significantly improve connectivity between the suburb’s eastern and western sections while reducing traffic congestion on some of Mumbai’s busiest roads.
The project, being jointly developed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC), will connect both sides of Ghatkopar by crossing the railway tracks and intersecting with Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Marg. The bridge is also expected to ease traffic on the Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road (AGLR) and the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), both of which experience heavy congestion during peak hours.
The new structure will replace the old rail-over-bridge (ROB), which served as an important link for more than four decades before it was closed to vehicular traffic in 2018 after a safety audit declared it unsafe. Since then, commuters have had to rely on alternate routes through JVLR and AGLR, resulting in longer travel times.
One of the first cable-stayed bridges in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs, the new bridge will span the railway corridor while also crossing Metro Line 4 and the underground Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor. While the section above the railway tracks will feature a cable-stayed design, the portions over the bullet train alignment and LBS Marg will be constructed using bowstring steel spans.
The bridge will begin from the Golibar Road junction and extend to the Eastern Express Highway. It includes a 108-metre cable-stayed section over the railway tracks, a 92-metre bowstring span above the high-speed rail alignment and a 90-metre span across LBS Marg. Footpaths will be provided along the bridge to improve pedestrian accessibility, while service roads are also planned beneath the structure.
The project is targeted for completion in 2027.
According to an MRIDC official, the construction is being executed in phases to minimise disruption. “After completing work on the right-hand side of the project, traffic will be diverted here, following which work on the other arm will be taken up,” the official said.
Source: The Indian Express
