The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday informed its standing committee that the long-delayed railway overbridge near Sion station is expected to be completed and opened to traffic by August 15. The update came during a meeting where the civic body reviewed multiple infrastructure proposals across the city.
During the session, around 59 proposals were presented before the committee, including projects related to road infrastructure and urban development. One of the key discussions focused on the Sion east–west railway overbridge, which has remained closed since August 2024. The bridge, located outside Sion station, plays an important role in connecting south Mumbai with the eastern suburbs.
The cost of the project has increased from Rs 42.8 crore to nearly Rs 50 crore due to the inclusion of steel girders and the construction of approach roads. A proposal seeking approval for the cost escalation was placed before the committee.
Members raised concerns about the prolonged delay and the impact on commuters and pedestrians. Rajshree Shirwadkar, chairperson of the education committee and a member of the standing committee, said that hawkers have taken over the area around the construction site, making it difficult for pedestrians, particularly schoolchildren, to move through the narrow lanes.
Ajanta Yadav, a corporator from the Indian National Congress, pointed out that the locality has several schools and hospitals. “The delay in completing the bridge has worsened traffic and caused inconvenience to pedestrians. When will the bridge be completed to provide relief to citizens?” she asked.
Responding to the concerns, additional municipal commissioner Vipin Sharma said the bridge would be opened for traffic by August 15.
The committee also put on hold a BMC proposal to build a town hall-cum-gymkhana in Fort, with members suggesting the land be used to create parking infrastructure in south Mumbai instead.
Among other proposals reviewed was a plan to construct a 1.3-km flyover linking the Eastern Express Highway with Airoli as part of the Goregaon–Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project. The contract for the flyover has been awarded for Rs 1,389 crore, about 6.8% higher than the estimated cost, taking the overall project value to Rs 2,495 crore. According to BMC documents, the flyover is expected to be completed within 36 months, excluding the monsoon period.
Source: The Times of India
