The newly reconstructed cable-stayed Reay Road Over Bridge (ROB), designed to ease vehicular congestion, has drawn widespread criticism for failing to provide pedestrian access to the adjacent Reay Road railway station. The bridge, which now stands nearly seven feet above the station’s 115-year-old heritage entrance, has rendered the ticket office and platforms virtually unreachable for commuters on foot.
Officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have defended the decision, stating that the increased height—1.8 metres higher than the previous structure—was mandated by railway authorities to meet technical specifications. This elevation change, however, has caused a significant disconnect between the new bridge and the existing station infrastructure.“The old ticket counter is outdated and too low,” said a BMC Bridge Department official.
“We plan to redevelop and raise it by 1.8 metres, integrating it with a new foot overbridge (FOB) on the southern side to link the ROB with the station.”This proposed FOB is expected to be a joint project between the BMC and Central Railway, with the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MahaRail) having already submitted cost estimates. The plan is currently under review. However, until the FOB is constructed, commuters face daily inconvenience.
“It’s a complete mess,” said a local resident. “People from Mazagaon, Byculla, and Darukhana are forced to take long detours.” A Central Railway official distanced the department from the issue, saying the bridge’s design was solely BMC’s responsibility. “We provided all necessary permissions on time. It’s the BMC’s poor planning that has caused these delays,” the official stated. To compound matters, the new ROB currently lacks pedestrian footpaths due to concerns about future encroachments and the pending FOB, leaving pedestrians to rely on the older northern footbridge.
Source: thee Free Press Journal
