The BMC is planning alignment work on the south side of the CD Barfiwala flyover to connect it with Andheri’s Gopal Krishna Gokhale bridge. A tender for this Rs3.7 crore project was issued on Thursday. Experts from Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) will oversee the project.
Aligning the south side of the flyover is expected to alleviate traffic towards Juhu. On July 4, following the alignment of a six-foot gap between the structures, the north side of the Barfiwala flyover was opened to light motor vehicles (LMVs).
“The north side alignment was completed using a hydraulic jack and ‘MS stool’ packing. The upcoming south side work will follow the same method under VJTI’s supervision, based on an estimate by IIT Bombay,” said a senior official.
Currently, the civic body is progressing with the construction of the south side of the Gokhale bridge, slated for completion by March 2025. The full operational integration of the Barfiwala flyover for heavy vehicles is anticipated after both phases of the structures are completed by next year. The challenging task of aligning the north side of both structures was completed within a record time of 78 days. The civic body has spent Rs3 crore on the work.
In its report, the fact-finding committee attributed the misalignment between both structures to a lack of coordination between civic and railway officials. The Gokhale bridge serves as a crucial east-west connector in Andheri. The northern arm of the bridge was opened to traffic on February 26, providing significant relief to commuters, especially during heavy rains when the Andheri subway experiences closures.
