Mumbai: Western Railway to begin work towards demolition of Lower Parel's Delisle bridge

Railway authorities will begin the work on Lower Parel's Delisle bridge today, which is scheduled to be demolished sometime around mid-August days after preparations are in place for the same. The bridge was built in 1921.

Authorities will shift utilities, including over 50 cables that pass through the Delisle road overbridge (ROB). The shifting alone will take around 15-20 days. Details of the same were decided at an interagency meeting held on July 23 at Western Railway's (WR) headquarters in Churchgate. The second cable stayed bridge — like the Bandra Worli Sea Link — may replace the existing Delisle bridge.

On July 23, nearly eight private firms made presentations to government agencies on the kind of bridges that can replace it, like — cable stayed bridge, stainless steel bridge, arch bridge, and other bridges with new technology.

"Cables stayed seems doable but we will have to consider the costs and time for completion," said a WR official. The demolition is likely to cause a mega block of 48 hours as rail traffic will be shut during this period.

At the meeting — which was chaired by Principal Chief Engineer RK Meena — officials from WR, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Assistant Commissioner of G/South ward DK Jain, ACP Sushil Bangale of Traffic Police, and former Mayor Snehal Ambekar discussed the stoppage of vehicular and pedestrian movements on Lower Parel bridge.

Sources said from Tuesday, multiple agencies supplying electricity, gas, telephone, optical fibres and even cable networks will be connected. "There is not set deadline for removing these utilities," said DK Jain, Assistant Commissioner. However, sources said over a fortnight is the time that will be required.

During this period, the Traffic Police will monitor the traffic and divert them via other east-west routes in Mahalaxmi, Elphinstone Road, S-Bridge, Currey Road and Chinchpokli.

"It will take around a month to prepare drawings of the new bridge, make plans for dismantling the existing one and calling tenders for new one," said a senior WR official. The authorities claim that they will begin dismantling only after 20 days or so. It will take at least 20 months to complete the new ROB.

TRAFFIC DIVERSIONS

• Traffic proceedings from Bharat Mata junction to Shingate chowk take a left from Shingate Chowk towards NM Joshi Marg. 
   
• Traffic from Arthur Road naka to Shingate chowk on NM Joshi Marg take right towards Bharat Mata junction.
   
• Traffic proceedings can also use Senapati Bapat Marg while travelling from Jacob circle towards North Mumbai.

Diversions issued for commuters by traffic cops

Ahead of the closure of the Lower Parel Bridge starting on Sunday morning, the Mumbai traffic police has issued several diversions for motorists travelling from south Mumbai and further towards western or central suburbs. The Western Railway (WR) had on Sunday asked the traffic police to shut the decades old bridge that was built back in 1921.

The closure also means that those coming from south Mumbai will have to use the Senapati Bapat Marg and the stretch below the Lalbaug flyover for heading towards the suburbs. Those travelling to Phoenix Mall will have to take the right Shingate Chowk towards Bharat Mata chowk and further head towards Phoenix Mall via Prabhadevi.

The closure of the bridge is not only for vehicles but also for pedestrians. This comes after a detailed technical inspection of the Delise Bridge, also known as Lower Parel Rail Overbridge  (ROB) by IIT Bombay , BMC and WR post which IIT Bombay has recommended that in view of safety, the said bridge be closed and dismantled as soon as possible.