The work on the Thane-Kopri road overbridge will finally commence soon as RITES, the consultant appointed by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), is taking up the matter with the Central Railway with renewed vigour.

The work on the bridge came to a standstill four months ago following a standoff between the contractor, Ajaypal Mangal & Company, and the Central Railway (CR) over the procurement of steel cables for the girders. The steel cables for the girder have been procured by the contractor and the work on the bridge is expected to commence from next week.

According to civic officials, RITES has recently employed a new manager for the project that started in 2002.

Civic officials believe that new manager of RITES, a Central Railway official on deputation, will facilitate better coordination among TMC, contractors and the Central Railway.

“All the major stakeholders — TMC, contractors, railways and RITES — are keen to complete the project soon. RITES is taking all its efforts to remove the hurdles and expedite the work,” said a senior civic engineer.

The construction of the road overbridge at Thane-Kopri is meant to expand the existing narrow bridge linking the east and west side of Thane bisected by the Central Railway’s tracks. The existing narrow bridge fails to accommodate the traffic during the peak hours.

Though it’s a TMC project, since the bridge has to be constructed over railway lines, work should be carried out only after blocking the rail traffic and under the supervision of the railway engineers. Though the project was initiated in 2002, only 50 per cent of the work has been completed. With the elections around the corner, all the politial parties slammed the civic body ruled by Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party for the delay in the completion of Kopri bridge.