September 13, 2025: At around 10 pm on Friday, the 112-year-old Elphinstone Bridge, linking Prabhadevi and Parel, was closed under tight police security to begin demolition works. The British-era structure, which straddles both Central and Western railway lines, is being dismantled to make way for the under-construction Sewri-Worli Elevated Connector.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) barricaded both ends of the bridge and started removing its approach ramps two hours ahead of the scheduled midnight closure. Officials appeared keen to avoid a repeat of April, when local residents halted demolition works, citing inadequate rehabilitation measures.
The Sewri-Worli Connector, a 4.5 km double-decker, signal-free road, will link the Bandra-Worli Sea Link with the Atal Setu. While MMRDA has begun dismantling the approach roads, the demolition of the bridge portion above the railway tracks awaits coordination with the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC). The nodal agency must arrange railway blocks in consultation with Central and Western Railways. Officials confirmed that cranes will be deployed once the blocks are secured, though negotiations over “way leave charges” with the Railways are still ongoing.
According to MMRDA’s schedule, demolition works will take around 20 days, carried out in phases depending on block availability. Soil testing and utility shifting—including sewer, water, and power lines—will follow. Officials say the design for the new double-decker bridge is ready.
Initially, the project required the demolition of 368 homes, but a 2024 design revision reduced this to 83 families from two buildings—Haji Noorani Chawl and Laxmi Niwas—who will be relocated to MHADA flats within four kilometres. However, concerns persist about 17 ageing buildings nearby, which residents fear could be weakened by construction works. Officials estimate excluding these structures from redevelopment will save Rs 5,200 crore.
Source: Hindustan Times
