Mumbai: The cost of repairing the Andheri East flyover, commonly known as Jog Flyover, on the Western Express Highway (WEH) is set to rise to ₹105.53 crore, with the BMC seeking approval for a second variation to the ongoing repair contract after structural inspections by IIT Bombay and VJTI recommended urgent strengthening of its columns and beams.

Andheri’s Jog Flyover repair bill rises to ₹105.53 crore after VJTI report recommends ‘urgent strengthening’. (HT ARCHIVE)

The revised contract value is ₹10.40 crore higher than the ₹95.12-crore contract approved after the first variation, and ₹12.86 crore above the original contract value of ₹92.67 crore. The overall increase from the original contract is 13.88%. The proposal will be tabled before the civic standing committee for approval on Thursday.

A letter by municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide on September 17 had stated that the additional work was essential to ensure the structural safety of the flyover. The BMC has a budget provision of ₹140 crore for the work to be done in 2026-27.

Three agencies—the BMC, the public works department (PWD) and MMRDA—have been in a prolonged dispute over who is responsible for repairing the flyover. While the PWD constructed it by January 2002 and handed over maintenance responsibility to a private agency in 2005, ownership of the structure remained with it. In November 2022, MMRDA transferred the WEH stretch between Bandra and Dahisar to the BMC for maintenance.

Following a slab collapse incident in 2024, the BMC, MMRDA and PWD locked horns over the repairs responsibility issue. MMRDA maintained that while it had given the BMC the responsibility of maintaining the WEH, the flyover was owned by the PWD and the state department was therefore responsible for its structural repairs. The PWD, on its part, referred to the maintenance arrangement involving the private agency and the continuing legal issues surrounding the structure.

With no immediate resolution to the jurisdictional issue, the BMC eventually decided to undertake the repairs in the larger public interest and seek reimbursement from the concerned authorities.

A repair contract was subsequently awarded to Freyssinet Prestressed Concrete Company Ltd for ₹92.67 crore on October 15, 2024. The work was based on a structural survey conducted by VJTI in 2023.

During the ongoing repairs, vibrations were noticed in the flyover and its columns while vehicular traffic plied on the structure. The PWD subsequently advised the BMC on April 9, 2025 to get the structure examined by VJTI and IIT Bombay.

A joint structural inspection by VJTI and IIT Bombay was conducted on June 10, 2025. According to the BMC proposal, the inspection report recommended urgent strengthening of the columns and beams, warning that failure to undertake the work could endanger the main structure and that the possibility of loss of life could not be ruled out.

“Since damage to one component can affect the other, splitting the work between different agencies could lead to technical and legal complications, particularly with regard to responsibility under the defect liability period in the event of an accident,” said a civic official from the bridges department.