The Delisle rail over-bridge (ROB) in Lower Parel will be likely to open for traffic by end of February or the first week of March 2023. "Work of Railway portion will be completed by August 2022," said a senior railway official adding that the remaining work will be completed by February-March 2023.
The British-era bridge was shut for traffic in July 2018 after it was declared unsafe by a joint committee of Railway, BMC and IIT Bombay experts. It has met several delays, the major ones being the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of skilled labour thereafter.
"The railway authority is likely to complete the work by August 2022, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation can work on the approach road only after that," said the official.
Asked about the delay in the work, a railway official said, "Railway had taken up the dismantling work of five-span covering over railway suburban tracks and completed in record five months period in February 2019. Dismantling of abutments couldn’t be taken up for want of removal of encroachments by BMC which was done in May 2019 and work of dismantling of Abutments completed in June 2019."
"The detailed estimate for Railway portion of ROB, chargeable to deposit work of BMC was sanctioned at Rs 125.83 cr in February 2019," he added.
"Detailed design of this typical truss girders superstructure in 65-degree skew alignment with a non-standard span of 89 m was prepared by consultant and proof checked by IIT Bombay. This was sent to the RDSO (Research Designs & Standards Organisation) technical arm of the railway," the railway official said.
A Western Railway official said that the revised superstructure drawing duly incorporating the modification/corrections as suggested by IIT Bombay and railway engineers were approved by RDSO on December 16th 2021.
Asked about the current status of the bridge, a WR official said, " "Now work in full swing, we are going to launch the first girder this month (May) and the second in August 2022." "After that work of approach will be started by BMC, which will be completed by February 2023," added the said official.
