Ghatkopar Bridges On Collision Course, Maharashtra Rail Forced To Redesign ₹350-Crore Project
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Mumbai’s Ghatkopar is facing a fresh infrastructure design crisis, with two upcoming bridges on Lal Bahadur Shastri Road (LBS Road) found to have a height clash. The issue has forced the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (Maha Rail) to reconsider the design of an under-construction cable-stayed rail overbridge that is nearly 30% complete according to a report by Mumbai Mirror.
Two Bridges Found To Have A Height Clash
Maha Rail is constructing a rail overbridge on the Ghatkopar-Andheri Link Road between Ghatkopar Depot, Shreyas Junction and Golibar Road. One arm of the cable-stayed bridge will cross LBS Road before landing on Golibar Road.
At the same time, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning another bridge on LBS Road between Sarvodaya Hospital and Shreyas Dargah.
Officials detected that the two structures would clash in height where they meet on LBS Road. The discovery has now forced Maha Rail to modify the design of its bridge.
A Maha Rail official said three pillars will have to be rebuilt under the revised plan. Demolition of the existing pillars has already begun in Ghatkopar East.
According to Mumbai Mirror, the redesign is expected to result in cost overruns and delays in the project, although it is not clear yet how much additional money or time will be required.
Bridge To Be Raised And Widened
The revised proposal is expected to raise the main cable-stayed bridge from around 4 metres to 5.5 metres. Its carriageway will also be widened from four lanes to six lanes, with three lanes in each direction.
The larger structure is being planned to handle increased traffic between the Andheri side and the Eastern Express Highway, particularly during peak hours.
The revised design is also expected to resolve the height conflict with the proposed LBS Road bridge.
However, the new design has not yet been finalised. Officials are also yet to determine the exact cost and time impact of the changes.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar said the height of the proposed LBS Road bridge cannot be changed because of structural limitations and the narrow road through which it will pass.
“We are yet to finalise the new design. If the height of the bridge on the Ghatkopar-Andheri Link Road is not suitably modified, the entry and exit of the ground-level structure will face a problem,” Bangar said.
₹350-Crore Project Already Delayed
The Ghatkopar-Andheri Link Road cable-stayed bridge has an estimated cost of ₹350 crore. It was originally scheduled to be completed in 2025 but has already been pushed back to June 2027.
The East-West rail overbridge was declared unfit in 2018 following an audit carried out after the Gokhale Road bridge collapse. The Shreyas Junction, where the Ghatkopar-Andheri Link Road meets LBS Road, has since remained a major traffic bottleneck amid delays to infrastructure projects in the area.
The latest design changes are expected to result in additional costs and further delays, although the exact figures have not yet been determined.
Ghatkopar Clash Brings Back Gokhale Bridge Memories
The latest controversy has drawn comparisons with the Gokhale Bridge-Barfiwala flyover fiasco in Andheri.
After the reconstructed Gokhale Bridge was completed, officials found that its alignment did not match the Barfiwala flyover connector, preventing the two structures from being joined as originally planned. The BMC subsequently had to raise the Barfiwala connector to establish the connection.
In Ghatkopar, the BMC detected the height conflict in early September. The revised height of the Maha Rail bridge is still being worked out.
The original design had already received approval from the BMC and railway authorities before the height issue came to light.
BMC Planning Two More Flyovers On LBS Road
The latest clash comes as the BMC works on plans for two flyovers along LBS Road between Kurla and Ghatkopar.
The first flyover is proposed between Kalpana Talkies in Kurla and Sarvodaya Hospital, while the second is planned between Sarvodaya Hospital and Ghatkopar Dargah.
Together, the two flyovers will form part of a 4.24-km elevated corridor estimated to cost ₹3,156 crore.
