Kaustubh S. Mayekar

Annasaheb Patil Tarta Bridge at Byculla, which was shut down for traffic on May 1 to replace its corroded expansion joints, will most likely to be re-opened to motorists on May 12.

With 40 laborers slugging it out to repair the 37-year old bridge will soon be thrown open to commuters days ahead of its scheduled opening on May 15, if we take the chief engineer of the civic bridges department, MCGM, S O Kori on his face value. “We have ensured our labour work overtime to spare Mumbaikars of traffic snarls,” he assured.

“We are working overtime – 18 hours a day, to replace the joints’, said a labour. The motorists should salute them for their dedication.

Assuring that traffic misery on this stretch won’t remain for long, Vijay Khabale-Patil, Public Relations Officer, MCGM, said, “As we mentioned earlier, the bridge will definitely be completed before May 15.”

Out of 32 joints, 31 are almost fixed and that too within a brief span of 7 days. The fixing of the last joint is under progress. “31 joints are being watered everyday for the cement to become more concrete. Once everything is dried, we will fix the nuts,” said a RPS Infraprojects supervisor.

Kori further stated, “We are trying hard to finish this project before schedule as the monsoon is nearing. And the good news is that most of the joints are already fixed.”

The 2-crore project is a part of 32-crore contract that includes repair of 17 bridges, such as Mahalaxmi Bridge, Princess Street Bridge, Kemps Corner Bridge in addition to fourteen other bridges.

As the repair works would get hampered during monsoon, Kori said, this bridge was attended on priority basis. As for the remaining bridges, their work would commence immediately after monsoon.

The traffic is being re-routed from Matunga (Gandhi Market) and Dadar TT circle to Wadala BEST depot, Char Rasta and Reay Road to avoid traffic snarl.