Sion ROB may be thrown open by August

The BMC standing committee on Friday approved a modification in the design of the approach road to the ROB, which will push up the total project cost by 16.65%

Mumbai: Going by assurances before the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) standing committee on Friday, the much-awaited Sion Road Over Bridge (ROB), which is currently being reconstructed by the Central Railway, will be thrown open to the public in August.

Sion ROB may be thrown open by August

The standing committee on Friday also approved a modification in the design of the approach road to the ROB. The move will push up the total project cost by 16.65%, from ₹42.83 crore to ₹49.96 crore, due to the construction of a retaining wall, said additional municipal commissioner Vipin Sharma.

The project was first approved by the BMC standing committee on September 29, 2022, while the work order was issued on January 30, 2023. Once work commenced, several technical challenges were encountered which necessitated a change in construction methodology, the proposal tabled before the standing committee said.

According to the proposal, the original plan involved constructing retaining walls for the approach road. But due to site constraints and engineering considerations, a decision was taken to use touch piles with pile caps. Fresh drawings and a revised structural plan was submitted to Central Railway, which subsequently granted approval, the proposal noted.

Change in structural design and preparation of new drawings increased the scope of work and listings under the bill of quantities. While some savings were identified in certain components of the project, additional items had to be incorporated into the contract, the proposal said, explaining why the overall project cost rose from the earlier ₹42.83 crore to ₹49.96 crore.

While the proposal was approved unopposed across party lines, corporators asked if it would further delay the project. The BMC had earlier officially issued a statement saying the ROB would be completed by July 2026.

Congress corporator Tulip Miranda questioned the sudden change in construction material for the ROB.

“The escalation in cost appears to be a result of changing the material from reinforced cement concrete (RCC) to metal. Why has such a decision been taken at such a late stage in the project,” Miranda asked.

According to Miranda, the requirement for a metal structure should have been identified at the outset instead of during execution. The prolonged delay in readying the new ROB has severely affected businesses in the Sion area, she said.

“The project was originally expected to be completed within 18 months. Although work began in 2022, the project is still ongoing in 2026,” Miranda said.

Former mayor and seven-time corporator Shraddha Jadhav from the Shiv Sena (UBT) said the standing committee must undertake a site visit to review progress on ground. The committee must ascertain when work began, what the original deadline was and when it is likely to be completed, she said.