The Aarey Metro station foot overbridge connecting Mumbai Metro Line 7 with Oberoi Garden City has opened to all commuters after remaining unused for 18 months because of a dispute over access. The bridge is intended to make the journey between the station and the residential and commercial complex easier while reducing the need for passengers to take a longer route around the Western Express Highway.
The bridge, built by the developer of Oberoi Garden City under provisions allowing private entities near metro stations to construct pedestrian links at their own cost, had been completed around 18 months ago. However, it could initially be used only by passengers travelling into Oberoi Garden City. The restricted access delayed its formal opening.
The issue was raised by local legislator Ravindra Waikar, who demanded that all metro passengers be allowed to use the bridge. He also sought an additional staircase and passage connecting the bridge to the service road so that commuters travelling to other destinations could access the road network without entering the Oberoi Garden City premises.
According to the report, the developer has now permitted all passengers to use the existing bridge and has given a written assurance that the service-road passage will be completed within three months. The bridge was formally opened by Waikar two days before the report was published.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, which is implementing Metro Line 7 between Dahisar and Gundavali, has been working to improve pedestrian connections at stations located along the Western Express Highway. Several stations on the route are positioned near the highway, where passengers often have to take a substantial detour after leaving the station. Crossing the busy highway directly is not feasible, increasing the importance of dedicated pedestrian infrastructure.
To address this problem, the MMRDA has decided to connect feasible metro stations with nearby main roads, important destinations or service roads through foot overbridges. Some of these bridges have already entered service. In parallel, housing societies, developers and other property owners near stations have been permitted to build pedestrian bridges at their own expense.
The Aarey-Oberoi Garden City bridge illustrates the operational difficulty that can arise when a privately built access facility is connected to a public transport system. Construction of the structure alone did not ensure universal access. Its opening depended on an agreement over who could use it and how passengers would reach the service road.
For commuters, the immediate change is that the bridge can now be used for travel between Aarey station and Oberoi Garden City, while the promised service-road passage is expected to improve access to surrounding areas after its completion. The developer’s three-month commitment is the next stated milestone in making the connection more broadly useful.
