Mumbai: Elphinstone bridge to be shut for at least 2 years

Elphinstone bridge to remain shut for over two years for reconstruction. File Pic/Ashish Raje

Welcome to the gridlock! Starting February, the city's arterial bridge at Prabhadevi - connecting Dr Ambedkar Road in the east to Senapati Bapat Road in the west, crossing over Parel and Prabhadevi stations - will be closed for traffic, not just for a few days but for over two years for reconstruction. The closest alternative routes, Tilak Bridge at Dadar and the newly opened Delisle Road Bridge at Lower Parel, will bear the brunt of the additional traffic. With Sion bridge already shut, this closure is expected to worsen traffic congestion in the area.

The bridge is being replaced by a two-deck structure, with the lower deck retaining east-west connectivity and the upper deck linking it to the Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu. The MMRDA has proposed constructing a 4.5-km elevated road, allowing vehicles from the Atal Setu to directly reach Worli and travel onwards to South Mumbai or Bandra. The work over the railway lines will be executed by the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (MahaRail or MRIDC), which will construct a two-storey bridge over the tracks.

The bridge is to be replaced by a two-deck structure. File Pic/Ashish Raje

MMRDA officials confirmed the development, stating that they had submitted the proposal and were awaiting approvals from the traffic police and BMC. "There are some encroachments and local issues to be addressed by the BMC, as space is required for the bridge's foundations and other structural elements on both sides of the existing flyover," an MMRDA official said.

Western Railway has already been informed and is working on relocating its booking offices. "Yes, we have been notified that the road over bridge at Prabhadevi railway station will be closed for traffic in the coming weeks. The ticket windows will be shifted to the ground level - one on the east side and another on the west. We will ensure minimal inconvenience to commuters," said Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek.

A senior traffic department officer confirmed that all necessary permissions for dismantling the Elphinstone (Prabhadevi) Bridge have been obtained, with February 2 tentatively set as the start date. "We are reviewing the exam schedules of students in the area. Once that is finalised, we will proceed with the dismantling and announce alternative routes," the officer said on condition of anonymity.

Mumbai's hanging bridges!

mid-day highlighted in its January 3 edition how over seven bridges in the city had been under various stages of construction for several years. According to BMC officials, some bridges have been delayed due to several reasons and unforeseen circumstances.