Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) successfully completed the sliding operation of the iron girder on the south side of the Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge, which connects Andheri East and West. The girder, measuring 90 meters in length, was shifted into place late at night on 8 September. Over the next few days, this beam will be gradually lowered to a height of 8 meters in phases. This challenging technical task will be carried out under expert supervision to ensure precision and safety.
Once the beam reaches the planned height, further work on the flyover corridor will commence. This will happen following the necessary approvals from the Western Railway Administration. The process will also require receiving a Block a scheduled pause in train movement and power supply to ensure the safe continuation of the work. In this regard, the BMC administration has been coordinating closely with the Western Railway to ensure the seamless execution of the project.
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The Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge is a vital link for traffic moving between Andheri East and West. The first phase of the bridge's construction was completed earlier this year, and the section was opened to public traffic on 26 February. At that time, access was granted to light vehicles. The next critical phase in the bridge's construction is now the installation of the second girder, marking a significant milestone in the overall project.
Girder On Gokhale Bridge successfully shifted | FPJ/ Rucha Kanolkar
Girder On Gokhale Bridge successfully shifted | FPJ/ Rucha Kanolkar
Girder On Gokhale Bridge successfully shifted | FPJ/ Rucha Kanolkar
On September 4, the initial work of sliding the 25-meter portion of the beam over the railway section was completed successfully. Following this, the remaining 65-meter section of the beam was moved between the night of 8 September, at 10 p.m., and the morning of 9 September, at 5 a.m., completing the entire 90-meter length.
The process was conducted under the guidance of Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner and Administrator, Bhushan Gagrani.
A senior engineer from BMC's Bridges Department told FPJ, “With proper coordination with the Western Railway Administration, we are allowing the procedure to run smoothly. Chief Engineer (Bridges) and other senior officers, along with workers and technical experts, played key roles in carrying out the beam-sliding procedure after detailed planning and analysis. Before the beam was moved, the risks and technical aspects were thoroughly checked to ensure railway safety. Both railway traffic and power supply blocks were obtained to ensure that the beam could be installed without any risk to train operations. Installing girders for bridges over railway tracks is a particularly challenging task from an engineering standpoint. This specific task was completed under the technical supervision of M/s Wrights Limited, as per plans approved by the Western Railway Authority, and according to their directions.”
In this second phase of the project, the southern iron girder was fixed on the eastern side of the railway track at a height of 14 to 15 meters from the ground. Once the beam is fully positioned, the next step will involve lowering it from its current height to 8 meters. This will allow it to be placed securely on the RCC support columns along the road. Notably, this is the first project in India where a girder of such height has been brought down to a specific level for bridge construction. Given that this project is being executed within a railway zone, which is considered the 'lifeline' of Mumbai, extra precautions are being taken to ensure the highest level of safety.
Once the girder is placed on the road, additional works such as crash barrier installation, asphalting, approach road construction, street lighting, and the painting of pathways will be completed. The second phase of the railway overbridge is expected to be fully completed by 14 November 2024, while the approach road work being carried out by the Municipal Corporation is scheduled to be finished by 30 April 2025.
Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects), Abhijit Bangar, emphasized the importance of this girder-launching process as a significant milestone in starting the southern route of the Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge in Andheri. He reassured the public that the Municipal Corporation will continue to push for the expedited completion of the remaining work without compromising safety, in close coordination with the Railway Administration.
BMC Completes Sliding of 90-Meter Iron Girder on Gokhale Bridge, Phase-Wise Lowering to Follow
