BMC clears 42 illegal slum structures at SVP Nagar to expedite Yari Road–Lokhandwala bridge construction | File Photo
Mumbai: The BMC’s K West ward team, in coordination with the Mumbai Suburban Collector’s office, carried out a major demolition drive on Thursday, removing 42 unauthorised slum structures at SVP Nagar near Lokhandwala.
The clearance is part of preparations for a new vehicular bridge connecting SVP Nagar to Yari Road in Andheri. Once completed, the bridge is expected to reduce travel time between the two areas from around 35 minutes to just 5 minutes, improving connectivity and easing traffic congestion.
Bridge Project Receives Push After Two Decades
After two decades of discussion, the BMC issued a Rs 42-crore tender in November 2023 for the construction of the bridge connecting Lokhandwala to Yari Road.
The project, however, has faced environmental concerns due to its planned route through a mangrove forest and creek, which will require the removal of 48 mangrove trees along the alignment. In addition, a large number of encroachments on the Lokhandwala side posed further hurdles to the bridge’s construction.
Officials Confirm Clearance and Next Steps
Chakrapani Alle, Assistant Municipal Commissioner of K West, said, “The land encroached by unauthorised slums was collector land. The joint action was carried out with the BMC providing manpower and machinery to demolish 41 residential structures and one religious structure, all under police protection. The area has now been barricaded by the BMC’s bridge department, which will immediately begin work on the construction of the bridge.”
Citizen Group Welcomes Development
Dhaval Shah, founder of the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens Association (LOCA), said, “The Yari Road bridge has been in the making for decades, with several tenders floated over the years. Now, with the slums being cleared, the project will finally get the push it desperately needed. Once completed, it will cut travel time for residents of Versova, Yari Road, and Koli Village by over half an hour, while also providing an important access point to the Versova–Bandra Sea Link (VBSL) once it becomes operational.”
Bridge Design and Timeline
The proposed bridge, spanning 393.2 meters, will cross Kavathe Creek and feature a 110-meter single-span steel arch over the waterbody. The project also includes approach roads measuring 166 meters on the Yari Road side and 117 meters on the Lokhandwala side.
Initially proposed in 2002, the bridge gained traction in 2014 when a tender was floated at an estimated cost of Rs. 17 crore and a contractor was appointed.
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However, the project faced delays following a legal dispute, as several local groups approached the court claiming the bridge would damage the surrounding mangrove forest. In 2023, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition, paving the way for the long-awaited project to proceed.
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