Mumbai: After a wait of four years, the BMC has finally invited tenders for reconstruction of skywalk from Bandra station to Kala Nagar, MHADA office. However, the extension of the work has increased the work cost from ₹19 crore to ₹ 83 crore.
The skywalk, built in 2008 by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), was later handed over to the BMC. One arm of the skywalk goes to Kalanagar and another to Bandra court via Anant Kanekar Marg (station road). Last year the civic authority decided to construct only the side from the railway station to the court. The skywalk was expected to be ready within 18 months at the cost of ₹19 crore.
Retendering work of stopped reconstruction
However, the reconstruction work had not started even after a year. The BMC stopped the reconstruction process and started feasibility study of the extension of the Bandra skywalk to the MHADA office and retendering the work. Meanwhile, the absence of sufficient pavements and a narrow access road to the station from the Western Express Highway (WEH), resulted in accidents. While hearing a PIL filed by the local resident in April 2023, the HC directed the BMC to complete the skywalk in 15 months.
The tender was finally issued on Monday, with an estimated cost of around ₹83 crore from Bandra Station to MHADA office, Western Express Highway in H East Ward, Godfrey Pimenta an activist has written a letter to the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and has requested to interfere in the matter. He said, “The entire cost estimate is highly inflated, if the cost of dismantling and reconstructing the said skywalk in August 2021 was only ₹16.20 crore, then why this 500% increase in cost at ₹83.06 crores in the year 2023?"
With increase in dimensions, cost also went up
P Velrasu, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects ) said, "The scope of work has increased. In the earlier tender the length of sky walk from Bandra station to court was 400 mts and width 4.5 m. While new tender the length from Bandra station to MHADA is 740 mts and 6.5 mts width. Also, the cost of three escalators, roofing, steel column used instead of concrete for fast work has increased the cost."
The Bandra skywalk was closed by the BMC after a structural audit report declared it dilapidated in 2019. Since then, the reconstruction work of the sky walk has been delayed for various reasons, which has caused inconvenience to the pedestrians.
