Rubbishing reports in a section of media that the reconstruction of the Gokhale bridge will be completed by May 2024, the BMC said that it will open two lanes of the crucial east-west connector in Andheri by October 2023. The entire bridge will likely be ready by December.
Speaking about the project's current status, the BMC said that it has purchased 1,270 metric tonnes steel to construct a girder and more than 25 per cent of its assembling work has been finished at the Ambala steel factory.
80 per cent work of approach road completed
Therefore, girder launching will also be done as per the plan. Similarly, 80 per cent work of approach road has been completed while the remaining stretch will be finished soon, the civic body added.
Earlier, the BMC aimed to partially reopen the bridge in May, however, the plan was hit by a strike at the steel plant. Considering the public demand for rebuilding the bridge soon, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had even spoken to the steel supplier, asking to resolve the issue. Besides coordinating with railway and traffic police departments, BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal and Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) P Velrasu are giving personal attention to expeditiously reconstruct the bridge.
