Mumbai’s Sion, Vidyavihar and Goregaon-Mulund bridges will be inaugurated on October 22, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said, bringing three major connectivity projects into operation across the city’s eastern, western and central suburban corridors.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will inaugurate the bridges virtually at 1 pm, according to an official statement cited by Mid-Day. Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar will be present, while Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde will preside over the ceremony. Live broadcasts are planned at all three bridge locations.
The projects are intended to improve east-west connectivity, reduce travel time for motorists and support the expansion of Mumbai’s suburban railway network. Their inauguration follows an earlier delay linked to the availability of senior officials for a joint ceremony, Mid-Day reported on October 15.
The rebuilt Sion railway flyover connects Dharavi, Bandra, the Bandra-Kurla Complex and Kurla on the western side with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road and the Eastern Express Highway on the eastern side. The 112-year-old bridge had been declared unsafe and was reconstructed to create space for the proposed fifth and sixth railway lines between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Kurla under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project-II.
Central Railway rebuilt the main bridge over the railway tracks, while the BMC’s Bridges Department renovated and strengthened the approach roads in coordination with railway authorities. The new structure consists of two semi-through steel girders, each weighing 496 tonnes and measuring 54.5 metres long and 26 metres wide. The approach roads connect towards Lal Bahadur Shastri Road in the direction of Kurla, Sant Rohidas Road towards Dharavi and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road on the eastern side.
The Sion project was originally expected to be completed in February 2027 but was finished four months ahead of schedule, the BMC said. The work involved relocating utility lines and water pipelines, addressing affected trees and public toilets, and coordinating construction around active railway infrastructure. The project was funded entirely by the railway department.
The new through-span design removes the pillars that had stood between the railway tracks on the earlier bridge. This is intended to allow construction of the proposed additional railway lines, which are expected to support suburban train operations and the movement of long-distance trains. Two associated pedestrian subways have also been completed: a new subway beneath Lal Bahadur Shastri Road opened on February 20, 2026, while the relocated and reconstructed subway beneath Sant Rohidas Road opened on July 14, 2026.
The Vidyavihar flyover connects Ramchandra Chemburkar Road on the eastern side with Lal Bahadur Shastri Road on the western side in the Ghatkopar area. The BMC expects it to reduce the journey between the two sides from around 30 minutes to 10 minutes and ease congestion on the existing flyover near Ghatkopar railway station.
The flyover is around 650 metres long, including a 100-metre section over the railway tracks, a 220-metre eastern approach road and a 330-metre western approach road. It has two traffic lanes, with a width ranging from 15.5 metres to 17.5 metres. The railway section includes two girders measuring 99.34 metres long and 24.5 metres wide.
The Vidyavihar works also included the relocation of railway utilities, construction of service roads, widening of the Somaiya drain and shifting of Central Railway facilities. Connections to railway station platforms were provided, while ticket counters, the station master’s office and staircases were reconstructed. The BMC said these works were completed by September 30, 2026.
The third bridge forms part of the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road project, which is planned to connect the Eastern Express Highway with the Western Express Highway. The 1.26-kilometre flyover, built with a three-by-three-lane configuration, is located near Hotel Ratnagiri in Goregaon East and runs from General Arun Kumar Vaidya Marg to Santosh Nagar on Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari Road.
The flyover is expected to reduce congestion around General Arun Kumar Vaidya Marg, Dindoshi court, the Hotel Ratnagiri junction and the Walbhat River junction. It will form part of the wider GMLR project, which also includes twin tunnels planned to improve east-west movement between Mumbai’s eastern and western suburbs.
The Goregaon flyover uses precast box-shaped concrete segments. A curved steel structure has been installed between pillars P7 and P11 to accommodate the junction’s layout. The BMC said the design includes curved spans, multiple connecting flyover structures, foundations suited to local geological conditions and sloping approach roads. The three bridges will be inaugurated during the scheduled virtual ceremony on October 22.
