Vidyavihar East-West Bridge set to Open Today amid Naming Row
The long-awaited Vidyavihar East-West bridge, Chembur’s new hop across the tracks towards Ghatkopar, is set to be inaugurated mostly online by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today, October 18, with 10 am as the tentative time. The two-lane, 650-metre link connects Ramchandra Chemburkar Marg on the east with Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg on the west, with a 100-metre stretch over the railway tracks and approaches of 220 and 330 metres. Ticket offices, the station master’s office and staircases at Vidyavihar station have also been rebuilt.
A naming row has erupted ahead of the opening: Shiv Sena (UBT) wants it called ‘Padma Shri Nana Patekar Setu’, while BJP MLA Parag Shah has proposed naming it after Captain Smit Machchhar, the pilot hailed for thwarting a mid-air hijacking.