MUMBAI, Dec. 4 -- The final phase of the reconstruction of Hancock Bridge has received a boost in the arm with the BMC promising to provide tenements for the project-affected people (PAPs) of three Mhada cessed buildings and 36 BMC-owned structures in E ward that stand in the project's path. Work on the bridge had been held up on account of a lack of PAP tenements. After a marathon review meeting on Tuesday, helmed by additional municipal commissioner (projects) Abhijit Bangar and attended by joint commissioner of police (traffic) Anil Kumbhare and senior officials from the BMC, traffic police and technical departments, the BMC agreed to provide PAP tenements to Mhada to facilitate the demolition process. The civic body has now instructed its legal officer and estate department to "expedite and systematically complete" all pending work on the reconstruction project, which has been delayed for years. Uttam Shrote, the BMC's chief engineer (bridges), said that once the tenements were sourced and the buildings and structures in the bridge's way demolished, a tender would be floated for the pending works. "The tender is ready," he said. "Once it is floated, work orders can be issued in a month." Hancock Bridge, which connects Mazagaon and Dongri, was demolished by Central Railway in January 2016 after it was deemed unsafe. Rebuilding work undertaken by the BMC was completed in February 2020, and one arm of the bridge opened in August 2022. However, legal, technical and rehabilitation challenges have since hampered the completion of approach roads on both sides. Bangar noted that while the bridge structure within railway limits was ready, the approach roads remain only partly completed. On the western side, Mhada's cessed buildings, along with several tenants and commercial establishments, have held up progress. Some tenants moved the Bombay high court, which granted a stay order. Bangar instructed officials to seek the assistance of senior legal experts to have the stay vacated and to follow up rigorously on the case. On the eastern side, new road alignment requirements have affected several commercial units. Bangar emphasised that rehabilitating these units must be prioritised by the concerned administrative department. He directed officials to resolve all pending rehabilitation issues, widen road stretches where required, and take up all related civil works without delay. Officials also discussed the status of pending works and the rehabilitation of residents and shop occupants from MHADA buildings in detail. Bangar further ordered that tenders for the remaining works be issued on priority so that the long-pending project could finally be fast-tracked, bringing long-awaited relief to residents who have endured years of inconvenience....