The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) put what they dubbed "India's longest girder on the railway tracks" this weekend, ending the 32-year wait for inhabitants of Mumbai's Vidyavihar to have an east-west connection. By 2024, all construction on the rail overbridge will be finished. The installation of the 1,100 metric tonnes, 99.34 meters long, 9.5-meter broad structures took three hours, according to the BMC. The Central Railway took part in the operation as well and enforced a mega block on Sunday between 1:20 and 4:20 am. The BMC claims that getting it exactly where it needed to be was difficult. The girder was transported over seven active railway tracks close to Vidyavihar station during the operation. The civic body described the "installation without a pillar" that was built using the "winch pulling method" as "an engineering marvel."
THE ISSUES
The civic organization had to enlarge the neighboring stormwater drain to the east of Vidyavihar railway station in order to place the girder. Both the east and west ends' ticketing offices for trains were relocated. Since the bridge would be built across railway tracks, the railway authorities also offered some design proposals, which were taken into consideration. The approach road to this bridge was made longer as well. Within the following two months, the BMC will launch a second girder that meets the same standards for the ROB work's second stage. This will hasten the ROB's development.
THE PROJECT
The official documents reveal that the east-west link was originally included in the 1992 Development Plan (DP) of Mumbai City, according to BMC sources. However, this project's official concept was created in 2016, and beginning development began in the same year. Technical difficulties caused the 2022 deadline to be postponed to 2024. Locals claim that since they won't have to go all the way to Ghatkopar, this bridge would unquestionably increase east-west communication. About Rs 178 crore would be spent on the project by the BMC. The BMC authorities are sure that once the bridge is finished, it would assist alleviate traffic flow in Ghatkopar and on the Santacruz-Chembur link route by easing congestion at Vidyavihar.
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