Mumbai: Traffic congestion in central Mumbai is set to worsen as the Elphinstone road over bridge (ROB), a key link between Parel and Prabhadevi over the Central and Western Railway tracks, is slated for closure. The MMRDA will dismantle and rebuild the bridge as part of the Sewri-Worli Connector project. This will be the fifth British-era bridge in Mumbai to shut, following the closures of Sion ROB, Carnac Bridge, Bellasis Bridge, and Reay Road Bridge. These century-old structures have outlived their lifespan and are being reconstructed for safety, but their closures have already led to severe traffic snarl-ups, with further disruptions expected.
The closure of Elphinstone ROB will divert traffic to Tilak Bridge (Dadar) and Currey Road Bridge, both of which are already burdened with heavy vehicular flow. With limited alternative routes, peak-hour congestion is expected to worsen, increasing commute times. According to MMRDA sources, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is pushing for the rapid completion of the Sewri-Worli Connector, which will serve nearly 15% of traffic on Atal Setu (Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, or MTHL) and provide direct access to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport.
The reconstruction of Elphinstone ROB was delayed due to 19 buildings obstructing the alignment. The previous government had promised in-situ rehabilitation, but it was deemed financially unviable. An MMRDA official said, “We have modified the alignment, reducing the number of affected buildings to just two. Now that this issue is resolved, we can proceed with constructing the bridge over the railway tracks.”
With the traffic department ready to grant a no-objection certificate (NOC), authorities plan to shut the bridge by Feb. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has urged MMRDA to delay the closure until April to prevent inconvenience for students appearing for exams. The reconstructed Elphinstone ROB will be a double-decker flyover connecting Senapati Bapat Road to Dr BR Ambedkar Road. Another arm will provide direct connectivity to MTHL at Sewri and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link at Worli.
Standing 27 metres high, the structure will pass over the Eastern Freeway, Ambedkar Road flyover, and railway tracks. Initially, MMRDA explored an underground passage beneath the Parel-Prabhadevi railway tracks to bypass railway approval delays, but the plan was dropped in favour of an elevated structure.