Elphinstone bridge to close for traffic on Friday: The 6 British-era bridges undergoing a makeover to lift the city infrastructure

Elphinstone bridge is the latest among the city’s British-era bridges slated to go under, and pave the way for a redeveloped structure.

Of the 300+ bridges dotting the cityscape, data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) shows that at least 22 Road Over Bridge (ROBs) in the island city trace their origins back to the British era. While the origin year of many is uncertain, some of the earliest bridges encompass Hancock bridge established in 1879, Mazgaon’s Olivant bridge established in 1887, Bellasis bridge from 1893, among others. According to the book, ‘Bombay: The Cities Within’, construction of the new roads and bridges had commenced in the latter half of the 1800s, after an unusually heavy monsoon spell in 1866 left Bombay’s streets damaged and spurred the British administration into constructing new swathes. This period also coincided with the rise of motor cars in the city.

Having thrived for over a century, several bridges had come into scanner over the decades amid their life-span nearing end. However, it was in the aftermath of a partial collapse of the Gokhale bridge in Andheri that a safety audit to inspect the structural integrity of all the city’s bridges was launched in July 2018. Following an audit by 12 teams comprising officials from BMC, railways and IIT Bombay experts, at least nine British-era bridges were deemed unfit for use.

Among the first ones to be taken up for reconstruction was the Delisle bridge in 2018. Its construction triggered traffic snarls and disruptions aplenty for five years as it was razed, redeveloped before finally reopening in 2023.

The plans to raze Elphinstone bridge have sparked similar concerns over traffic snarls in the already congested area. As the structure gears up for an overhaul, The Indian Express looks into the redevelopment of other British-era bridges unfolding across the city at present — whose works, while having thrown life out of gear for commuters, aim to ease congestion through widened roads and modern features like cable-stayed bridges.

Carnac bridge

Over a century old, the Carnac bridge was demolished in 2022 after the audit declared it unsafe. Three years later, the bridge is proposed to be opened for public use by June 2025, ahead of monsoon.

Since its establishment in 1922, the Carnac bridge served as a direct access for vehicles heading to P’D Mello Road. Like many other British-era bridges, it passes over the Central railway tracks.
While the old bridge catered to two-lane traffic, the new bridge will consist of four vehicular lanes, facilitating twice the vehicular flow and smoother movement. It is composed of 155 m long approach road on the east side (from P D Mello Road) while approaches on the west side (Mohd Ali Road) are 255 m in length. Meanwhile, the superstructure over the railway portion will be 70 m long.
Earlier in January this year, work for shifting beams of the girder over the railway portions was completed, making way for the final works. Slated to ease congestion in the southern division, the bridge is being constructed at an overall cost of Rs 70 crore.

Tilak bridge

(Express photo by Ganesh Shirshekar)

Like the Carnac bridge, the Tilak bridge in Dadar traces its origins back to 1922 and has since formed a significant link connecting traffic from Lower Parel, Prabhadevi and Worli to the Eastern Express highway. However, after an audit following the collapse of Himalaya bridge in 2019 found the bridge weak, the decision to replace the existing structure was taken.

Now, the BMC along with the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC) is developing a new twin cable-stayed bridge, alongside the existing structure. According to officials, the project will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase, the traffic will be diverted on the new cable-stayed ROB after its completion, following which the present 103-year-old structure will be razed.
Currently work on the first phase is underway. While foundation work is completed, the agencies are working on launching the girders and carrying out superstructure work. Furthermore, work on the construction of pylons for the bridge is also progressing.

To aid traffic flow, the twin cable-stayed bridge will consist of 3+3 lanes for to and fro traffic, with each bridge proposed to be 600 metres long.

The project is estimated to cost Rs 375 crore, and a timeline of two years has been determined.

Bellasis bridge

(Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

Located between Mumbai Central and Grant Road in the island city, the Bellasis bridge was established in 1893 and formed a crucial connector for traffic movement between Nagpada and Tardeo. After the audit in 2018 revealed that it had lived its age, the BMC planned its reconstruction, and the old structure was pulled down in 2024.

The revamped bridge will consist of a cable-stayed bridge constructed with steel while its foundation will be made in concrete. In a bid to ease existing congestion, the new structure will comprise six lanes, as against the three lanes which made up the old bridge. Furthermore, the clearance between the railway tracks and the girder has also been increased compared to the previous bridge.

The project is pegged at a cost of Rs 110 crore, of which nearly 60 percent of the funding money was allocated by the BMC while the Central Railway was roped in as work involved laying the bridge over the railway tracks. To avoid partial opening, the BMC is eyeing to completely open the entire bridge to traffic by this year’s end by October.

Sion bridge

(Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)

The Sion bridge was first established in 1912 and currently forms a key link between Dharavi, LBS Road, and the Eastern Express Highway. In 2024, the bridge was finally shut for traffic for redevelopment works as its dilapidated status came to light.

While strengthening the old network, the new bridge is proposed to have an increased road length from 40 to 51 metres over the rail network. Overall, the initial reports have proposed the overall length of the bridge at 200 metres with a width of 25 metres. Meanwhile, the work entails accommodation of the fifth and sixth railway lines. The project is being jointly executed by the BMC and Central Railway.

Even as the structure’s closure has hampered traffic in the area, the bridge work is crawling at a snail’s pace with officials citing utility shifting and removal of existing structures as key challenges.

After a delay of over eight months, structures along the alignment including a public toilet were finally removed, paving the way for faster dismantling of the existing structure. According to officials, following the demolition, work on the bridge is estimated to be completed over 18 months, excluding monsoon period.

Byculla ROB

(Express photo by Ganesh Shirshekar)

Currently, the MRIDC at the behest of BMC is also undertaking redevelopment works on the 103-year-old Byculla bridge, situated near the Mumbai Fire Brigade headquarters. In what will ease traffic congestion, a cable-stayed bridge—marking an addition of four additional lanes to the existing three lanes—will be constructed in the project.

Being a congested area and a key east-west connector, the Maharail has resorted to a phase-wise redevelopment for the Byculla ROB as well. Spokespersons from the Maharail said the agency is currently undertaking works on construction of pylon and pile works, without interrupting flow of the heavy traffic on the Eastern Express highway. After the new bridge is completed, traffic will be diverted from the existing structure. Following this, a span of the current Y-bridge will be connected onto the new cable stay bridge.

The upcoming bridge, along the approach roads, is 916 metres long and interestingly will also comprise a selfie point. The project has been allocated a fund of Rs 287 crore and its first phase is proposed to be executed over the next one year.

Reay Road bridge

While cable-stayed designs are becoming the new common for bridge works in congested pockets—thanks to its requirement of fewer pillars in foundation—the Reay Road bridge will be the first cable-stayed bridge on land in Mumbai, upon its opening. The new bridge has been constructed instead of the 115-year-old Reay Road bridge, which was shut for vehicular traffic in 2022.

What made the Reay Road bridge crucial was that it linked Byculla to Mazgaon by surpassing the harbour rail line. Since its closure, the area has seen an uptick in traffic congestion owing to overburdening of alternative routes. According to spokespersons, all works on the new structure is complete and is now awaiting a final date for launch.

Developed by the Maharail at an estimated cost of Rs 266 crore, the new ROB comprises six lanes alongside a footpath for pedestrians. The total project length is 1.52 km while the new bridge is 385 metres long.