The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wants to construct a bow-shaped bridge with bow-stringed girders (pillars) for the first time in the city, to connect internal areas of Versova to Lokhandwala in Andheri west. But its construction hinges on the nomination of experts to the Tree Authority-appointed committee. The project awaits not just an NOC from the Forest Department as mangroves will be chopped, but also experts on the Tree Authority-appointed committee, as over 25 trees will also be cut.

Waiting for experts
The construction will start after the chopping of about 74 trees is approved by the Tree Authority-appointed committee. After the Bombay High Court restricted the committee from granting permissions to cut over 25 trees without appointing experts, the BMC has called for Expression of Interest (EOI) to invite applications from interested experts to be part of this committee. Once the experts are appointed the proposal can be approved and the project will take off. The BMC has been waiting for the Forest Department's No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the past six months to start work on the 350 metres-long bridge at Andheri West that will be constructed for R33.71 crore. The bridge is considered to be the need of the hour for the residents of Andheri. It will reduce travel time from Yari Road to Lokhandwala to almost 5 minutes from the current 20 minutes.