Why Elphinstone bridge hasn’t been demolished yet | Mumbai news

Mumbai: It was on January 31 when HT first reported that the British-era Elphinstone road over bridge (ROB), a crucial east-west connector in central Mumbai, is expected to be demolished by the end of February, with a double-decker bridge planned to replace it.

Nearly two weeks into March, there are still no signs of any demolition. In a scenario that’s quintessentially Mumbai, multiple government agencies are still trying to figure out the way through the complex bureaucratic web they’ve spun over Maximum City over decades. These include the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC), Western Railway (WR), Central Railway (CR), and the Mumbai traffic police.

With multiple issues still to be sorted out, it’s unlikely the bridge will be demolished before the board examinations finish by the end of March, according to officials aware of developments.

Traffic troubles

The Elphinstone ROB connects the bustling central Mumbai areas of Prabhadevi and Parel. It passes over two railway stations on two different railway lines, used by 500,000-700,000 commuters daily. It is surrounded by several buildings, some decades old and others housing some of Mumbai’s swankiest offices. There are residential areas and schools nearby, along with prominent hospitals such as the Tata Memorial Hospital and KEM Hospital, which are frequented by tens of thousands of people daily.

Needless to say, the impact of the bridge’s demolition will be felt.

In the first week of February, there was a high-level meeting between multiple government agencies, such as MMRDA, MRIDC and the traffic police, working on the Sewri-Worli connector, for which the Elphinstone ROB is a vital component. While the demolition of the 125-year-old stone bridge received an in-principle nod, several aspects are yet to be ironed out, officials said.

To begin with, the Mumbai traffic police, who will play a major role in ensuring adequate diversions and minimal impact on vehicular movement after the bridge is demolished, are still finalising the details of the fallout of the bridge closure. M Ramkumar, additional commissioner of police (traffic), said a decision on the demolition date will be taken after the board exams.

“We are aware that shutting down the bridge will disrupt central Mumbai. Although alternate routes have been issued, we are discussing with different resident associations around the locality to finalise minute arrangements to ensure a smooth flow of traffic,” said Ramkumar.

The traffic police also need to figure out how to ensure the movement of ambulances and emergency vehicles to and from the Parel hospital district isn’t impacted. Due to the limited space in central Mumbai, creating dedicated lanes for emergency vehicles is impossible, officials said.

When the Elphinstone ROB is closed, motorists will be diverted onto Tilak Bridge in Dadar and Currey Road Bridge, both of which are already burdened with heavy traffic. Meanwhile, work on the demolition and reconstruction of the Sion ROB, which was shut in August 2024, is moving along at a slow pace, according to reports. This is expected to cause prolonged delays, particularly during peak hours.

Bureaucratic red-tape

Meanwhile, the railway authorities have clarified that they have not received any correspondence from the agencies that will carry out the demolition work seeking a date and time to implement a mega-block on the Western and Central lines.

Since the Elphinstone ROB passes over WR and CR railway lines, both their permissions are needed to demolish it. Then, there’s the question of money.

Earlier this week, WR sought “wayleave charges” of around ₹60 crore from MRIDC, according to officials. Wayleave charges are essentially payments made for the right to use someone else’s land. “As per procedure, this money needs to be paid to the railways as it passes over rail lines, and this is going to have an impact on our train movement whenever a mega block will be taken up. We will also be overseeing the works and helping them during the block period for demolition as well as reconstruction,” said a WR official.

An MRIDC official said the agency will discuss the payment of wayleave charges with MMRDA. While MRIDC is in charge of building the new ROB, the Sewri-Worli connector, which will pass over it as part of a double-decker bridge structure, is being built by MMRDA.

“We have undertaken the work of rebuilding Elphinstone ROB for MMRDA, who are constructing the Sewri-Worli connector,” said the MRIDC official. “They will be making the necessary payments required. For now, we have submitted temporary drawings to the railways, which have not been approved yet.”

Railway authorities, however, denied this. “We have not received any concrete plans and drawings from the agencies that are carrying out this work. Moreover, we have not received a proposal requesting dates and time required for the mega block for demolishing this ROB,” said another WR official.

Meanwhile, an MMRDA official said they had already held discussions with other agencies in February regarding the project and are awaiting permissions to demolish the ROB.