Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 7: Eighteen months after the BMC shut Shastri Nagar Road in Andheri West for reconstruction of a bridge over Mogra nullah, the road remains closed, forcing residents and commuters to take a detour of more than 1 km for a stretch that is barely 400 metres long.

The road connects P Tandon Marg to Sundervan Complex via Yavateshwar Marg and runs near Bhaktivedanta School. Residents said the prolonged closure has increased travel time and disrupted school traffic.

The BMC had initially stated that the bridge work would take 18 months. However, the civic body has now set March 2027 as the completion deadline and said the road is expected to reopen before the next monsoon.

The bridge had provided a shortcut between P Tandon Marg and Shastri Nagar. Following the closure, commuters have been forced to use the main road, where residents said traffic congestion has added to their daily difficulties. School buses and parents travelling to Bhaktivedanta School have also been affected.

The Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizens’ Association (LOCA) has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the BMC Commissioner and the BMC Bridges Department seeking intervention over the delay.

According to LOCA, the work order was issued in 2024 and construction began in the first week of 2025. The project was initially given an 18-month timeline, including the monsoon period, but the work is still only around halfway complete.

LOCA director Aarush Jotwani said residents had been told that shifting a water pipeline was one of the reasons for the delay. The association questioned why the pipeline shifting was not factored into the project planning before the tender was floated and construction began.

LOCA has sought the appointment of a senior official to monitor the project and ensure that the remaining work is completed without further delay.

A civic official said the foundation work of the bridge over the nullah has been completed and work on the superstructure is currently underway. The official said the project deadline is March 2027 and assured that the stretch would be opened before the next monsoon.

Residents said the prolonged closure has caused considerable inconvenience, particularly for people travelling towards Infiniti Mall and students and parents heading to Bhaktivedanta School.

Shastri Nagar resident Sudhaanshu Paandey said the small bridge had served as an important link and saved considerable travel time, while its closure had forced commuters to take a longer route and face traffic on the main road.

Another resident, Urmila Shah, said the original deadline had already been missed and urged the authorities to accelerate the work and complete it at the earliest.

Resident Aparna Nadig said students travelling from P Tandon Road to Bhaktivedanta School had earlier used the bridge as a convenient shortcut. With the road still closed, schoolchildren and their parents are now required to take the longer route, increasing their daily travel time and inconvenience.