Mumbai: After more than a year-and-a-half since the demolition of the Patel Bridge, a foot over bridge (FOB) near Mafatlal Club, Girgaon Chowpatty, the civic body has yet to begin work on its reconstruction. Residents are grappling with the problem of crossing the road. The bridge, which connects the western side of Charni Road station to the Pransukhlal Mafatlal Hindu Swimming Bath & Boating Club and is also connected to an FOB on the railway portion, landing at the eastern side of Charni Road station, was built by a private trust in 1953. The BMC claims that the drawings are ready, while the estimates and draft tender for the bridge are being prepared. Work on the reconstruction of the bridge will tentatively start after the monsoon, once a tender is invited and a work order is issued.
“Thousands of senior citizens like me who go to Marine Drive for a walk or visit the gym at Mafatlal Club are facing difficulties, as the road portion of the bridge has been demolished. We are forced to travel by a two-wheeler, which is both risky and inconvenient, especially since there is no parking space available around Chowpatty. Both the railways and BMC should work together to reopen and maintain the bridge for public use,” Manish Shah (70), a VP Road resident, said.
“First, the railways shut the bridge for reconstruction for four years. After it was rebuilt, the BMC demolished the road portion in 2023. The past decade has been incredibly frustrating for local residents and thousands of people who visit Chowpatty during Ganpati and on Sundays. Many accidents have occurred due to unsafe road crossings. We urge the BMC to provide a designated parking area for two-wheelers near the Club until the bridge is reopened, especially for senior citizens,” said local resident and activist Jeetendra Ghadge.
The BMC has appointed a consultant for the reconstruction of the bridge, which is 48.4 metres long. “The general arrangement drawing for the reconstruction of the bridge is ready and approved. The estimate is ready, and the draft tender is being prepared. Work on the reconstruction of the bridge will tentatively start after the monsoon, once a tender is invited and a work order is issued. An NOC from the traffic department will be obtained before commencing work,” said a BMC official. Civic officials claimed that the railway portion would remain as it is and that the railways have started work on constructing a staircase on the west side of the railway line to re-establish the East-West connectivity across the railway tracks.
The BMC issued a notice to demolish the bridge in 2022, citing audit reports that stated the condition of the bridge was not good. While the civic body claimed that the bridge was in a dilapidated condition, late structural engineer Shirish Patel wrote to the municipal commissioner in 2022, stating that the team, which conducted an audit of the structure, found the structure in perfectly sound condition, except for some trivial maintenance requirements. However, the civic body demolished the bridge as a precautionary measure in June 2023.