Four basalt stones bearing inscriptions in four languages from structure’s 154-year-old predecessor to be displayed on median
The new Carnac bridge, whose load test was completed between June 13 and 15. Pic/Shadab Khan
The newly constructed Carnac bridge will be opened to traffic next week, as it has passed the load test that was conducted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) this weekend. As a tribute to the 154-year-old structure that preceded it, four basalt stones from the original bridge will be kept on display on the median of the bridge for easy visibility for north and southbound commuters. The bridge has four lanes each for motorists heading in either direction.
These boulders are inscribed with the years 1858 and 1868, when the construction of the bridge was started and completed. They also mention the name of the bridge in Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati and English. Each of the four stones is two feet wide and three feet tall. During the time of its demolition in 2022, these were moved from the site and preserved at the Heritage Gully at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) on P D’Mello Road.
Stones bearing inscriptions from the original bridge, which was built between 1858 and 1868. Pic/BMC Heritage Department
A senior civic official said, "The bridges department has taken the decision to display the stones along the median, so commuters going both ways will be able to see them.” The BMC has similarly preserved boulders from the original Reay Road bridge that was built in 1910 during its demolition. These have not been used to decorate the entry to the August Kranti Maidan at Tardeo.
Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner in charge of the bridges department, told mid-day on Monday, “The load test on the bridge was completed between June 13 and 15. We have asked the traffic police to do an inspection. As a portion of the bridge falls within railway premises as it passes over the tracks, the civic body is awaiting a no-objection certificate from the Railways.”
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