August 6, 2025: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday announced that the crucial Sewri-Worli Connector bridge will be completed within a year. The announcement came after he reviewed the progress of 33 major infrastructure projects at a high-level meeting held in his “war room.”
Among the projects reviewed were several metro rail corridors in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the redevelopment of BDD chawls, the Thane-Borivali twin tunnel, the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, and various road and power infrastructure works across the state. The war room is a strategic hub set up to monitor and accelerate infrastructure projects in Maharashtra.
Fadnavis expressed concern over the delays in Mumbai’s metro rail network. He stated that agencies have been instructed to adopt advanced technologies to ensure faster execution. “We discussed the issues related to [the Sewri-Worli Connector], and the agencies have apprised us that they will be resolved in one month. We have set the deadline of next year to complete the connector,” he said.
The connector, vital for easing north-south Mumbai traffic, will require the demolition of the British-era Elphinstone Bridge in Parel. This issue has drawn local opposition due to concerns over rehabilitation and congestion.
During the meeting, 132 issues hampering project execution were flagged. “Sixty-three of the issues have been resolved in coordination with the various agencies concerned, and the remaining will be sorted out shortly,” said Fadnavis.
He also directed metro agencies to set firm completion deadlines and urged planning bodies to build housing projects at terminal metro stations. “The distribution of the keys for the completed houses in the first phase of the BDD chawl redevelopment will be distributed next week,” he added.
Fadnavis instructed all departments to upload project updates on the war room portal and prioritise clearing roadblocks before the next review meeting.
Source: Hindustan Times
