Mumbai civic body to build 4 FOBs on Harbour line

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will join efforts to ensure that people do not risk lives crossing railway tracks.

It has decided to construct four foot-over bridges (FOB) on harbour lines between Mankhurd and Govandi, making travel from east to west easy. Now, the residents either take a detour or take a short-cut by crossing track.

The construction of public FOBs across harbour line will be taken up shortly in phases.

“Three FOBs — one at Mankhurd railway station at Vashi-end, another near Lallubhai compound (Agarwadi) and the third at Govandi station near Ankur Cinema -— has been planned," said Rahul Shewale, chairman of BMC standing committee.

Another FOB at Tata Nagar to Kumud Vidyamandir is still in the planning stage and the designs of the bridges are to be approved by the the civic body.

The FOBs will facilitate the residents of the area easy access from east to west as they, now have to detour or have to cross the railway lines. “Civic body has approved the designs of the bridges and have asked the central railway authorities to go ahead, since BMC cannot take up any construction work as it involves work over the railway tracks”, said Shewale.

According to officials from the traffic and bridges department of the BMC, the designs and planning is done by engineers of central railway and would be approved by the civic engineers. “We will have to pay the cost of construction which is already deposited in case of three bridges”, said a senior civic official.