The technical report by Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) has mentioned its key findings regarding the misalignment issue between the Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge and the CD Barfiwala flyover in Andheri, Mumbai.
As per the report, the Barfiwala flyover’s arms are in good condition, which negates the need for complete demolition. The report mentions that the initial phase of integrating the two bridges is estimated to span 90 days, as outlined in the report submitted to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on March 19.
Highlighting the structural integrity and good remaining service life of the existing Barfiwala flyover, VJTI’s report advocates utilising its sections to facilitate traffic convergence with the Gokhale bridge.
The Dean of Infrastructure and Maintenance at VJTI, Dr. Abhay Bambole signed the report which underscored the necessity to adapt the last four spans of the Gokhale bridge to align with incoming Barfiwala flyover traffic.
Previously on March 9, BMC had urgently requested VJTI to propose a solution for merging the bridges without resorting to demolition.
What led to the reconstruction?
Constructed in 2008, the Barfiwala Flyover connected Juhu with the north-south arms of the old Gokhale Bridge, which has been in existence since 1960. The latter was demolished in 2022 and a new bridge was constructed in its place, which was opened for vehicular movement last month in February.
However due to the guidelines of railways, since this bridge passes above the railway tracks, the BMC constructed the new Gokhale Bridge at an elevated height of six meters, resulting in misalignment of its arms with the Barfiwala Flyover.