The reopening of the Sion bridge near Rani Laxmibai Chowk has restored a key east-west transport link in Mumbai, allowing BEST buses to return to their original routes after more than a year of repairs and lengthy diversions.
Acting on directions from the traffic police, BEST resumed regular alignments for several services operating through the corridor. The bridge had been closed for repairs on June 30, 2024, forcing buses and other traffic to use secondary routes and adding to congestion around Dharavi, Kalanagar and LBS Marg.
The reopening has reduced journey times for passengers travelling between Sion East and Sion West. Commuters at bus stops near Rani Laxmibai Chowk, Everard Nagar and Tilak Hospital were seen boarding buses that had returned to their normal operations after the bridge reopened on Friday.
The routes restored to their original itineraries include A-7, 11 Ltd., A-22, 29 Ltd., 181, 255 Ltd., C-305, A-312, 341, 348 Ltd., A-357, A-376, 411 and C-505. The restoration reconnects bus services with areas that had become harder to access during the closure, including the Sion Hospital area and Matunga Labour Camp.
Commuter Vijay Naidu said the closure had forced major diversions through secondary corridors, increasing travel times and creating traffic bottlenecks. Another commuter, Atul Mhatre, said the return of buses to their original routes had reduced his journey between Sion East and West by at least half an hour.
The bridge closure had also affected passengers who needed to cross between the eastern and western sides of Sion. Some commuters reported having to change buses more than once to reach their destinations, while the diverted services added pressure to already busy roads in the surrounding neighbourhoods.
However, the resumption of services was not immediately uniform across all routes. Passengers from Pratiksha Nagar reported confusion over the absence of a bus service to Kumbharwada on Friday. BEST officials were unavailable for clarification on the route, according to the report.
Commuters have been advised to check notices at local bus stops and updated BEST schedules as services gradually stabilise across the network. The traffic police direction and BEST’s route restoration will determine how quickly normal bus operations are re-established across the Sion corridor.
