Bellasis Bridge likely to be closed for traffic from Monday

Yet another iconic bridge in the city, Bellasis Bridge, is likely to be shut from Monday for vehicular traffic as the railways and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have decided to demolish the old structure and build a new bridge in its place

MUMBAI: Yet another iconic bridge in the city, Bellasis Bridge, is likely to be shut from Monday for vehicular traffic as the railways and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have decided to demolish the old structure and build a new bridge in its place. The old structure was declared dangerous, and it will take the railways at least eighteen months to build a new structure. Until then, the traffic police have decided to divert the traffic.

Mumbai, India – June 22, 2024: British-era bridge which connects Tardeo to Nagpada with local train station gate of Mumbai Central , in Mumbai, India, on Saturday, June 22, 2024. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo).

Following the railway’s decision, the Mumbai Traffic Police have decided to close vehicular traffic on both bounds of the iconic 130-year-old Bellasis Bridge starting Monday. Bellasis is a Railway Overbridge (ROB) that passes above railway tracks.

“The bridge is a crucial link connecting Tardeo to Nagpada with Mumbai Central station. We have suggested alternate routes like Mumbai Central Junction to Tardeo Central Junction. There will be no parking on Patthe Bapurao Marg from Tardeo Circle to Navjevan Junction,” said traffic police officials.

The officials said it would take around 18 months for the authorities to construct a new bridge over the railway tracks. A cable-stayed steel bridge is likely to be constructed in its place, designed to accommodate the ever-increasing traffic demands of the city.

Bellasis Bridge, commissioned in 1893, has surpassed its working life and requires reconstruction. The structural stability of the city’s road overbridges, particularly those built during the British era like Bellasis, has been a concern since a portion of Gokhale Bridge in Andheri collapsed in 2018. These bridges were designed based on traffic estimates from that time and are now outdated.

The 130-year-old bridge at Mumbai Central connects Tardeo, Byculla, Nagpada, Grant Road, and nearby areas. According to the traffic police, 25,000 to 30,000 motorists use this bridge every day.