October 06, 2025: The long-pending demolition of the 100-year-old Elphinstone Road Bridge at Prabhadevi has been hit by fresh delays, as the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC), also known as MahaRail, is yet to submit a revised demolition plan to Western Railway. Officials from Western Railway said they cannot proceed without a detailed and compliant proposal addressing key technical and safety concerns.
According to a senior Western Railway official, “The demolition of the old structure is a crucial first step before we can begin constructing the new bridge, which is intended to ease congestion and ensure greater safety for lakhs of daily commuters.”
MahaRail, however, maintains that it has fulfilled all requirements. “The compliance has been addressed and a reply with clarification was sent to WR on 4th April 2025,” said a spokesperson for MahaRail. The corporation had initially submitted a demolition plan in March 2025, but Western Railway returned it with several observations highlighting deficiencies in safety protocols and technical details.
Officials noted that critical aspects—such as the type of cranes and machinery to be used, methods for debris disposal, and a step-by-step dismantling sequence of cross girders, stringer assemblies, footpaths, and deck slabs—remain to be clearly defined.
Moreover, the Railways have sought enhanced safety measures, including the mandatory use of safe lifting hooks instead of slings for handling girders, detailed load-bearing capacity evaluations, and updated soil condition reports.
Until these issues are fully addressed, Western Railway officials have emphasised that demolition work cannot move forward, further pushing back the timeline for replacing one of Mumbai’s oldest and most crucial bridges.
Source: The Free Press Journal
