Vidyavihar Bridge Project Delayed Again: 185 Trees and Structures Stand in the Way; New Deadline Announced

The Vidyavihar Bridge project, which has been in progress for several years, is facing further delays. The bridge, meant to connect Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Marg in the west to Ramchandra Chemburkar (RC) Marg in the east, will now likely be completed by February 2026 due to ongoing construction challenges, according to Lokmat.

While the primary work on the bridge's structure across the railway tracks is complete, significant issues remain with building the access roads on both sides of the tracks. These roads cannot be constructed until the trees and various structures obstructing the path are removed. According to sources in the municipal corporation's bridge department, a solution to these obstacles has yet to be found.

The bridge itself spans 612 meters, with two massive girders forming its core structure. The first girder was erected on May 27, 2023, followed by the second on November 4, 2023. Each girder measures 99.34 meters in length and 9.50 meters in width, weighing approximately 1,100 metric tons. These girders are notable for their size, being the largest ever constructed for such a project, and were built without any supports between the railway tracks.

Delays in the project began when the Railway Ministry's Research, Design, and Standards Organization (RDSO) recommended changes to the bridge's design in 2016. These changes required modifications to the structure within the railway boundary, as well as adjustments to the bridge's layout in the east and west sections. These design alterations pushed the expected completion date from 2022 to 2026.

Further complicating the project is the presence of 80 structures, a Mhada building, and 185 trees of various types in the proposed access road areas. Until these obstructions are addressed, the construction of the approach roads cannot proceed.

Additionally, the project has seen an increase in consultancy fees due to the added weight of the girders and the extended supervision required. The consulting company, Rights Limited, has raised its fee by Rs 2.53 crore, bringing the total consultancy cost to Rs 4.63 crore.