Demolition of Elphinstone Bridge put on hold for at least a week

Several citizens have objected to the closure of the vital east-west connector in central Mumbai because a few roads near it have already been dug up for infrastructure work

MUMBAI: The closure of the 125-year-old Elphinstone Bridge for demolition and reconstruction has been put on hold for at least a week after the Mumbai traffic police received 417 objections and suggestions from citizens regarding the proposed action.

Mumbai, India. Jan 30, 2025: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will close the Prabhadevi Railway Over Bridge for motorists in February to construct the Worli-Sewree MTHL connector and redevelop the bridge. Mumbai, India. Jan 30, 2025. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

According to traffic police officers, several citizens have objected to the closure of the vital east-west connector in central Mumbai because a few roads near it have already been dug up for infrastructure work. “There is work going on at a few roads surrounding the Elphinstone Bridge, including the Senapati Bapat Marg and Ganpat Kadam Marg,” said Anil Kumbhare, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

The traffic police have sent objections to the concerned departments and asked them to finish the road work within eight to 10 days, Kumbhare said. The bridge won’t be closed until the work on alternate routes is complete, he added.

One such objection was sent by Narendra Shah, 60, a businessman who has lived in the Zaveri Building in Parel East his entire life. He emailed the traffic police on Saturday, saying it would become extremely difficult for residents to commute and do business if the bridge was closed.

Shah added that he wasn’t objecting to development or a new bridge, but claimed the authorities have not contacted residents of the area or engaged in any dialogue to ease their woes. “Alternate routes are not enough,” he said.

On April 8, the traffic police had issued a notification proposing traffic diversions and regulations that would be enforced once the Elphinstone Bridge, which crosses over Western Railway and Central Railway lines, is demolished. The traffic police also sought objections and suggestions from citizens to the proposed action.

The closure of the east-west connector is expected to significantly impact traffic, especially in the congested Parel area, which is home to prominent hospitals such as Tata Memorial Hospital and KEM Hospital. Traffic density has also increased in the area in the last two decades after deserted mill complexes that once spurred the city’s growth were converted into swanky malls and offices.

While vehicles will have to use the Tilak Road Bridge or Currey Road Bridge, for pedestrians, the foot over-bridge near Parel railway station will be designated a non-ticketed zone for public use. A new foot-over bridge is also under construction near Prabhadevi station, which is likely to be ready soon.

“For emergencies, ambulance vehicles will be stationed on both sides of the bridge round the clock,” said an official from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is in charge of the demolition and reconstruction of the bridge. One ambulance will be made available on the west side of the Prabhadevi railway station, while the other one will be on the east side of the Parel station. Wheelchairs have also been arranged for patients along with the ambulances, the official added.

MMRDA initially planned to commence the demolition work in February but delayed it by a couple of months to let the board exams for classes 10 and 12 end so that students aren’t inconvenienced. Another reason for the delay was the permissions and clearances needed from multiple government agencies—MMRDA, Western Railway, Central Railway, the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation, and the Mumbai traffic police—involved or affected by the project.

The Elphinstone Bridge will make way for a broader, four-lane double-decker bridge, whose upper deck will be a part of the upcoming Sewri-Worli elevated connector. The lower deck will cater to traffic between Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road and Senapati Bapat Road, essentially replacing the Elphinstone Bridge, which has only 1.5 lanes in each direction.