One more unsafe foot overbridge leading to Girgaum Chowpatty shut

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has shut one more foot overbridge (FoB) near Girgaum Chowpatty in Charni Road, citing it is unsafe for public use. The BMC has claimed that the bridge will remain closed until the required repairs on the bridge are not complete.

This is the third FoB the BMC has shut on the eastern side of Charni Road station citing safety concerns. The FoB connects the north-end with the road leading to Girgaum Chowpatty and Mafatlal Club, and is used by many pedestrians heading towards Chowpatty or Marine Drive walkway. “The bridge was shut a day ago as it requires repairs and was found to be unsafe for use. There are no plans to demolish the bridge, but it will be repaired, and opened for public in the coming months,” said a BMC official.

Darshan Talajia, a Charni Road resident, said, “One after other FoBs is being shut at Charni Road. This causes so much inconvenience to pedestrians. It is very surprising that suddenly all bridges are being shut citing safety concerns.”

Earlier, the BMC had shut the south-end FoB on the eastern side of Charni Road station in January 2018 after portion of the stairs collapsed on a senior citizen during the rain in 2017. One more FoB on the north-end, near Saifee Hospital, was shut for public and is expected to be opened one repair works are completed.

The civic body has shut several road overbridges and FoBs in the city, citing safety concerns, after the collapse of Himalaya bridge earlier this year. The BMC also recently appointed the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) for carrying out structural audits of all the skywalks in the city.