Mumbai, November 22: The Western Railway in Mumbai is going to suspend train services for 20 days from Tuesday, November 27. This is being done to allow for launch of a girder of the under-construction Gokhale bridge that connects SV Road and Western Express Highway at Andheri.

TOI reported that the blocks will be carried out during the night to minimise the impact on train services, quoting Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Western Railway, Sumit Thakur. It is important to note that the affected train details are yet to be released by the Western Railway. Andheri Gokhale Bridge Closes From Today: Mumbai Traffic Police Issue Advisory, Share Alternate Routes After BMC Declares Bridge Unsafe for Public Use; Check Complete Details Here.

The Western Railway had launched the girder for the north carriageway in October. Thakur said “We will undertake the blocks during the night so that there is minimal impact on train services.”

Gokhale Bridge, which was built in 1975, is 80 metres long and 25 metres wide. The new road overbridge is being constructed at a cost of around Rs 90 crore. Mumbai Traffic Update: Police Issue Advisory After BMC Declares Andheri’s Gokhale Bridge Unsafe for Public Use; Check Complete Details Here.

The Gokhale bridge's girder span will be 90m, the second largest for a railway bridge in the city and girder has been assembled at the worksite. The girder will be launched at a height of 25 metres from the ground level. While launching, it will be lifted by a special crane as the girder weighs around 1,300 tonnes, the report said.

Though the initial deadline for the bridge was November 2023, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to open the bridge partially in February 2024.

For those unaware, the Western Railway began the demolition of the bridge in December 2022 and it took four months to complete the work. The authorities shut the final girder of the bridge in March this year.

Earlier in November 2022, the authorities had shut down the bridge following an inspection which found that there were various elements in the bridge such as RCC columns, tie beams, girders, deck slab and bearings that are heavily distressed because of corrosion.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 22, 2023 04:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).