Mumbai, September 28, 2026: The Andheri flyover repair project on the Western Express Highway (WEH) is facing a second cost escalation and another deadline extension, with the BMC proposing to push completion to November 2026. The project, originally estimated at Rs 92.67 crore, has now risen to Rs 130.36 crore, including taxes — a jump of Rs 37.69 crore, or over 40 per cent.
The Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Technological Institute (VJTI) had recommended strengthening the flyover following a structural audit in 2023, but BMC awarded the repair contract to M/s Freyssinet Prestressed Concrete Co. Ltd. only in October 2024, nearly 18 months later.
The delay led to further deterioration of the bridge superstructure, prompting BMC to seek a revised repair plan from its technical consultant, which was checked by VJTI.
The revised plan made diaphragm strengthening mandatory, expanding the original scope and increasing the contract value from Rs 92.67 crore to Rs 95.12 crore. The first cost revision was approved by the BMC Standing Committee in November 2025.
Further Strengthening Work Proposed
According to the BMC proposal, vibrations were detected in the flyover and its supporting columns during ongoing repairs while traffic continued to ply. A joint VJTI-IIT Mumbai inspection on June 10, 2025, recommended urgent strengthening of the columns and beams, with the additional work estimated at Rs 10.87 crore.
BMC had sought Public Works Department’s (PWD) intervention for the repairs, but the Maharashtra government, in a February 27, 2026, letter, directed BMC to carry out the VJTI-IIT recommendations and fund the work itself following the transfer of the WEH to the civic body.
The revised contract value, including the additional work, stands at Rs 105.53 crore, or 13.88 per cent above the original contract value. The existing contractor has agreed to execute the additional work under the existing terms and conditions.
The BMC administration has now sought Standing Committee approval for the second cost escalation, with additional charges including Rs 8.44 crore in water tax, Rs 4.22 crore in sewerage tax, Rs 10.55 crore in supervision charges, Rs 47.94 lakh in VJTI service fees and Rs 1.13 crore in technical consultant fees.
Flyover Construction And Transfer
The flyover was constructed in the 1990s by the state government's PWD under a Build, Operate and Transfer model and includes commercial spaces such as shops and offices beneath the structure.
It was subsequently handed over to BMC for maintenance along with the WEH, which had been under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), in 2022.
The PWD awarded the Andheri flyover construction contract to Jog Engineering Ltd (JEL) in 1997-98. In November 2022, MMRDA transferred the WEH stretch from Bandra to Dahisar, including the Jog flyover, to BMC for maintenance.
The flyover came under scrutiny after a portion collapsed onto a car on July 4, 2024. A subsequent VJTI structural audit recommended major repairs, prompting BMC to float tenders estimated at Rs 95 crore while the accident occurred during the tender process.
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Meanwhile, the 33,000 sq m space beneath the flyover had been given for commercial use, with maintenance linked to the arrangement. After Jog went insolvent, the contractual dispute moved to court. With the maintenance arrangement now tied up in litigation, BMC has been left to shoulder the repair burden.
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