Bridge reconstruction work to be completed on time: BMC

As closure of several dilapidated bridges here cause traffic snarls and inconvenience people, the Mumbai civic body Tuesday said all work related to their reconstruction will be completed in a time-bound manner.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to people by the closure of several bridges and appealed to them to bear with the civic body, saying it is working for a better future of the metropolis.

In a statement here, the country's biggest civic body said the work to dismantle and reconstruct 29 ROBs (road overbridges) and FOBs (foot overbridges) was going on in full swing and will be completed in a time-bound manner.

Post the March 14 collapse of a foot overbridge near the CSMT railway station in South Mumbai, which had left seven people dead, the BMC had ordered re-audit of all the bridges in the financial capital.

During the exercise, it found there were 29 bridges which were beyond repair and have to reconstructed. Of them, the corporation has so far demolished eight.

Of the remaining 21 bridges, 12 have been fully or partly closed for traffic or people's use and the nine others will be shut shortly, the statement said.

The closure of bridges without making alternative arrangements has caused traffic jams and put people to hardship, leading to criticism of the country's richest civic body whose budget size for 2019-20 stood at Rs 30,692 crore.

The closer of the Ghatkopar Bridge over Laxmi Baug nullah has resulted in massive traffic jams on the busy Eastern Freeway and Eastern Express Highway since the last three days and people have demanded its re-opening.

"The civic body is aware of the inconvenience faced by commuters and motorists. Keeping in mind the safety and security of the people of the city, reconstruction work on bridges is being done day and night so that they are completed in the minimum possible time," said the statement.