Gokhale Bridge Project Nears Completion: East-West Connector To Open By May 15

Published: Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 12:14 [IST]

There's good news for motorists eagerly awaiting the opening of the east-west arm of the Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge, which connects to the westbound arm of the Barfiwala flyover. After years of waiting, the construction work is nearing completion, and the stretch is expected to open by May 15, as reported by mid-day.

During a recent visit, mid-day observed that most of the work has been completed, with only final touches remaining on the connector between the Gokhale Bridge and the westbound arm of the Barfiwala flyover.

Karan Jotwani, a Lokhandwala resident who frequently travels along the route, expressed his excitement with mid-day, "Once the east-west arm opens, motorists will be able to travel quickly from the Western Express Highway (WEH) towards the JVPD Scheme signal. It will save around 10 to 15 minutes of travel time. We've been waiting eagerly and hope there are no more delays."

The westbound arm of the Barfiwala flyover has been closed for years due to delays in the connector construction. During this time, locals have used the space for parking their vehicles, including two-wheelers. Now, residents have been informed not to park there, as the flyover is expected to open next month.

Another commuter, Manish Sanghvi, told mid-day, "We're all eagerly waiting for the Gokhale Bridge phase two to open. This east-west connector will ease traffic woes, especially for those commuting between Andheri East and West. We hope the BMC sticks to the May 2025 deadline."

The connector had been shut for traffic on November 7, 2022, after being declared unsafe. Initially expected to be completed by May 2023, the project has faced multiple delays over the past two years. On February 26, 2024, two lanes of the bridge were opened with height restrictions, allowing only light vehicles like cars and two-wheelers. Buses are still not allowed.

The Gokhale Bridge project began in 2018 and was initially split between the BMC (for approach roads) and Western Railway (for the bridge over the tracks). The entire project was later handed over to the BMC, and the bridge is now expected to be fully completed by May 2025.

As per the same report, a BMC official stated, "The work on the westbound arm of the Gokhale Bridge, connecting to the westbound arm of the Barfiwala flyover, is nearing completion, and the bridge is expected to open by May."