Mumbai: The woes of those residing adjoining the Charni road area or pedestrians are likely to end soon, as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is slated to reinstate the north-end foot-overbridge (FOB) adjoining the Charni Road railway station by the end of February.
The FOB connects the Charni Road station with the Saifee hospital and Hinduja College, over the Maharshi Karve road and has been shut since June 2019 due to safety concerns.
A senior engineer of the BMC’s bridges department the ‘Free Press Journal’ that after the Himalaya Bridge at the CSMT collapsed in March 2019, the civic body ordered the bridges wing to close a number of FOBs to assess the structural stability.
After a six-month-long inspection, BMC has now begun the renovation of the Charni Road FOB, which will be reopened to the public soon. “We had to close the bridge for safety measures.
After the Himalaya bridge collapse, structural stability of many FOBs was under the scanner, leading to the closure of a number of bridges for investigation,” said an officer, requesting anonymity.
Further, he informed, a report of findings was presented in September, and a committee of consultants was appointed.
“The Charni Road FOB witnesses a large number of people using it on a daily basis. Thus, following the investigation, we have initiated renovation works, and the bridge will open by the end of February,” added the engineer.
Presently, the bridge’s renovation is underway where the slabs of the foundations are being strengthened. An on-site engineer informed that both the sides of the bridge are being welded to ensure there is a strong grip on the foundation.
Meanwhile, as the FOB was not operational, the north-bound pedestrians cross the road during the peak hours, causing severe traffic congestion. The Karve road intersection witnesses a significant number of pedestrians crossing the road from both sides, resulting in the traffic clog.
As there is no alternative to the FOB, the pedestrians cross the roads directly to reach the railway station, which is across the Karve road.
