September 15, 2025: Even as the Elphinstone Bridge was closed from midnight on Friday, work at Sion remains far from complete, leaving daily commuters grappling with worsening traffic and delays.
A site visit revealed that the old 110-year-old Sion Bridge has only been partially demolished. The north end has been pulled down, while a small section on the south remains to allow pedestrian passage. Railway teams have begun piling work on the western side for the new structure, while foundations for a connecting foot overbridge (FOB) have been laid on both the east and west. Pillars are already visible on the eastern side, with further construction underway to the west.
The bridge, which links the Eastern Express Highway with Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Road and Dharavi Road, was declared unsafe several years ago. An IIT audit in 2020 warned that the structure posed a severe risk as it spanned live railway tracks beyond its intended lifespan. The Central Railway and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are jointly reconstructing the bridge, which will also accommodate two additional rail lines — the fifth and sixth corridors. The railway span will be extended from 40 to 51 metres.
Residents and activists had opposed the demolition without viable alternatives, highlighting difficulties for students of nearby schools and commuters reliant on the BEST depot at Sion West. In response, Central Railway assured that the bridge would not be fully razed until the east-west FOB was ready.
Yet, locals say progress has been painfully slow. “Vehicular traffic was stopped in July 2024, but after more than a year, very little has been achieved,” said media professional Akbar Merchant. With Elphinstone Bridge now shut too, residents fear longer detours, endless congestion and further disruption to their daily lives.
Source: Mid-day
