Newly Constructed Bridge in Mumbais Lower Parel Area to Open Thursday

A newly constructed bridge in Mumbais Lower Parel area will open for traffic on Thursday. The bridge was at the center of controversy after police registered a case against MLA Aaditya Thackeray for allegedly inaugurating part of the structure without permission.

Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar announced on Wednesday that a newly constructed bridge in Mumbai's Lower Parel area will open for traffic on Thursday. The Delisle bridge has been at the center of controversy since the police registered a case against Shiv Sena UBT MLA Aaditya Thackeray and others for allegedly inaugurating a part of the structure without permission from the Mumbai civic body.

Bridge Inauguration

Responding to questions about the bridge inauguration at a press conference at the BMC headquarters, Kesarkar, who is also the guardian minister of Mumbai city, said that only three to four days of work was pending, and it has now been completed. He confirmed that the bridge will open to motorists on Thursday, November 23.

Kesarkar stated that he has asked the civic body to install railings in place of a permanent footpath, which is missing at the newly constructed railway overbridge between Lower Parel and Prabhadevi stations on the suburban section of the Western Railway. He added that, due to public demand, the bridge will connect with Lower Parel station, and escalators will be installed for easy access to the railway premises.

Bridge Construction and Controversy

The bridge's construction had been ongoing for the last five years but was accelerated between 2022 and 2023.When asked about inviting local MPs and MLAs to the inauguration, Kesarkar said they generally invite all local representatives when they inaugurate a project. The bridge is located in Thackeray's Worli constituency in central Mumbai.

Without naming Thackeray, Kesarkar said some people are in a hurry, apparently referring to the bridge's inauguration by the former state minister. He added that he was not aware of many things. Thackeray, a former Maharashtra minister, claimed last week that the bridge's construction was completed two weeks ago but was not opened to motorists because Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had no time to inaugurate it.

Police Case Against Aaditya Thackeray

Based on a complaint from the BMC, the police registered a case against Thackeray, Sena UBT's members of the legislative council Sachin Ahir and Sunil Shinde, former mayors Kishori Pednekar and Snehal Ambekar, and 15 to 20 others for inaugurating the second carriageway of the Delisle bridge on Thursday night without permission from the BMC administrator.

The opening of the newly constructed bridge in Mumbai's Lower Parel area will provide much-needed relief to motorists and improve connectivity in the city. The bridge's inauguration, however, has been marred by controversy, with allegations of unauthorized inauguration and political mudslinging. It remains to be seen how the situation will unfold and whether the bridge will be inaugurated smoothly on Thursday as planned.