The 154-year-old Karnak Bridge, located at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, connecting D'Mello Marga is being reconstructed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Under this project, the process of sliding the south side iron beam (girder) weighing 550 metric tons up to 70 meters on the railway section has been successfully completed on Monday, October 14.
Under the guidance and leadership of Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani and Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar, the Bridge Department of the Municipal Corporation has completed this operation in proper coordination with the Central Railway Administration.
The movement of this giant beam to the south will be completed in the coming weeks. Also, in parallel, construction of the western access road to the bridge will start in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the installation of the second girder of the bridge will be completed by the end of December 2024.
The Carnac Bridge is undergoing significant renovations due to its deteriorating condition. The sliding operation of the southern girder was completed under the experienced supervision of various municipal officials and experts.
Chief Engineer Uttam Shrote and Deputy Chief Engineer Rajesh Mulay played pivotal roles in executing the plan.
The first part of the beam shift occurred between 12:25 am and 5:45 am on Sunday, October 13, covering a distance of 58 meters.
The remaining 12 meters were successfully completed between 12:30 am and 3:30 am on Monday, October 14.
For this, Central Railway's (CR) Mumbai Division operated special traffic and power blocks during night between CSMT-Masjid stations.
The Carnac Bridge served as a crucial artery in South Bombay, linking the Masjid Bunder area to vital hubs, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Mohammad Ali Road.
Initially demolished in 2022, the bridge's reconstruction project faced multiple delays. Earlier projections suggested that at least one lane would be operational by June 2024, following the arrival of essential girders in March.