The bridge was built in the British era and was declared unsafe for public in August. (Express Photo by Deepak Joshi) The bridge was built in the British era and was declared unsafe for public in August. (Express Photo by Deepak Joshi) Demolition work on the 104-year-old Patri bridge in Kalyan began on Sunday. The bridge, connecting the east to the west, was built during the British era and was declared unsafe for public in August. Almost three months later, it is being demolished to make way for a new bridge. Around five cranes were pressed into service along with over 200 men, to ensure the work of detaching the two major girders of the bridge was undertaken manually. “This bridge despite being old has a strong frame, any small mistake can lead to more damage and hence we are progressing at a slow pace,” said one of the senior workers. The railways plied over 170 extra trains for Kasara, Karjat, Khopoli and Kalyan, along with more trains between CSMT and Dombivali. However, commuters still faced a lot of inconvenience as trains were delayed by 15-20 minutes on the central local railway line. The Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Transport had also planned special bus service between Kalyan and Dombivali, but they too failed to extend any respite to the harrowed commuters. “I had left home at 11.00 am to go to CSMT to enjoy my off-day with friends, but with the train being delayed, it took me more than two hours to reach Thane,” said Shreya Badangre (20), a college student waiting at Thane station for a Dombivali-bound train. “We hope that the new bridge is built at the earliest. The old bridge was part of Kalyan’s history and while it had to go, the roads would not be able to take the burden of traffic for long,” said activist Sanjay Vachak. The bridge, which was cordoned off in August, had been one of the auxiliary railway overbridges in Kalyan. “The roads in the city have been blocked ever since the bridge has been deemed unsafe to use. Right now, if people have to go from east to west, they are forced to go on foot via the station,” said a resident. For all the latest Mumbai News, download Indian Express App

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