Mumbai's century-old Elphinstone bridge to close for reconstruction

Mumbai, Apr 9 (PTI) The century-old Elphinstone Road Over Bridge (ROB), one of the crucial east-west links in Mumbai, will be closed for vehicular traffic in the next few days for a period of two years as it is set to be demolished and reconstructed.
    As the traffic police had sought feedback till April 13 from the people regarding traffic arrangements, the bridge will be shut after that, an official said on Wednesday.
The bridge, connecting Parel and Prabhadevi areas of central Mumbai, will be reconstructed as part of the Sewri-Worli Elevated Connector project of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).


The closure might cause traffic congestion and disruptions, especially in Dadar, Lower Parel, Curry Road and Bharatmata areas.

The Mumbai Traffic Police on Tuesday issued a draft notification and invited objections from the public regarding traffic arrangements following the closure. The feedback will be accepted till April 13.

The existing Elphinstone bridge is 13 metres wide and accommodates only 1.5 lanes of traffic in each direction.

According to MMRDA officials, dismantling the more than 100-year-old ROB is a time-sensitive task, which they plan to complete before the onset of the monsoon.
Its demolition will make way for a modern double-decker structure that is expected to significantly improve the east-west connectivity in the metropolis.


The first level of the new double-decker bridge will feature a 2+2 lane carriageway for traffic between Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road and Senapati Bapat Road, while the second level will accommodate a 2+2 lane carriageway for traffic heading from the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL, also known as Atal Setu) to the Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL).

The Sewri-Worli Elevated Connector will be 4.5-km long, and will have four-lane (2+2) carriageways. It will link MTHL with BWSL, which is a key connect between the city's northern and southern coastal roads on west coast, officials said.

"The corridor connects the Atal Setu seamlessly with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and the Mumbai Coastal Road, significantly reducing travel time and providing signal-free access to central and south Mumbai for commuters from neighbouring Navi Mumbai," an MMRDA official said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)