September 20, 2025: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is constructing its first cable-stayed bridge over the Mahalaxmi railway tracks, which will act as a vital connector to the upcoming coastal road. Senior civic officials recently inspected the ongoing construction of the 70-metre-high pylon that will anchor the new Mahalaxmi road overbridge.
The project, cleared by the civic standing committee in 2020, aims to ease traffic congestion in south Mumbai. Work orders were issued in January 2020, with construction beginning the following month. The old bridge can only be demolished once the new structure is complete.
Stretching 736 metres in total length, the bridge will start from the Racecourse side along Keshavrao Khadye Marg in the west, cross the Western Railway tracks, and land near Shirin Talkies on the eastern side. Of this, 165 metres will comprise the cable-stayed portion, with a back span of 85 metres. The four-lane bridge will be 23 metres wide.
As the span over the railway tracks was too large for a conventional design, the BMC opted for a cable-stayed structure. This marks the first time the civic body has undertaken such a project independently.
The project cost is estimated at Rs 389.7 crore. Initially scheduled for completion in March 2024, it has been delayed due to encroachments, trees along the alignment, and the need to reconfigure designs to accommodate utilities such as water pipelines, storm drains, sewer lines and BEST cables.
The western span is expected to be ready by December 2025, with the eastern railway section commencing in January 2026 and targeted for completion by September 2026. Ancillary works and approaches are scheduled to finish by November 2026.
Abhijit Bangar, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects), confirmed that the BMC aims to complete the bridge by the end of 2026, helping ease congestion and strengthening connectivity to the coastal road.
Source: The Indian Express
