More than a year after the demolition of the critical Mulund East-West foot overbridge (FOB), commuters continue to face significant difficulties due to the project’s extended delays. Despite assurances from officials under the Prime Minister’s Gati Shakti initiative—designed to enhance multimodal connectivity to economic zones—the bridge remains incomplete, leaving residents stranded and frustrated.
Originally scheduled for completion before the monsoon season, the pedestrian bridge is not even halfway through construction, forcing locals to undertake inconvenient and costly detours daily. This footbridge was the only free pedestrian link connecting Mulund East and West across the railway lines. Its absence has resulted in commuters either walking long distances to alternative bridges or purchasing train tickets merely to cross the station, adding time and expense to their daily journeys. The prolonged delay has prompted calls for accountability and warnings of protests from local residents, who argue that the slow progress undermines both convenience and sustainable urban mobility.
The Gati Shakti Unit, launched in 2021, is responsible for constructing the FOB. Its mandate is to accelerate infrastructure development to improve last-mile connectivity in Mumbai and other regions. However, the current lag raises questions about coordination, project management, and the integration of this bridge with larger infrastructure upgrades underway at Mulund station. Officials had promised completion by May-end, with signage erected to reassure the public of imminent completion. Yet as the deadline passed, visible progress remains limited. Sources from the project management team have indicated that only one span of the bridge remains to be installed, after which work on landings will commence. Despite these claims, the bridge is far from functional, leaving commuters to navigate inefficient alternatives.
One significant challenge has been the ongoing development of Mulund station itself under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project phase 3A (MUTP-3A). The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is implementing a new 145-metre elevated deck and multiple foot overbridges within the station complex. These simultaneous upgrades have necessitated changes to the original FOB design, adding complexity and contributing to delays. The previous footbridge, which stood for around 50 years, was demolished in 2024 after showing signs of severe structural corrosion. The deterioration was attributed to prolonged exposure to rot from discarded vegetables left by illegal hawkers, as well as structural modifications made by contractors. Although the bridge was temporarily repaired and reopened for a short period, concerns about safety ultimately led to its demolition and replacement.
Local community leaders and activists have repeatedly highlighted the inconvenience caused by the missing pedestrian link, emphasising the need for sustainable, accessible, and gender-neutral infrastructure that serves all residents equitably. The current gap in connectivity disproportionately affects women, the elderly, and differently-abled individuals who depend heavily on safe, direct pedestrian routes. The footbridge’s absence also raises environmental concerns. Forced detours increase pedestrian and vehicular traffic on less safe routes, elevating carbon emissions and undermining efforts toward sustainable urban mobility in line with Mumbai’s zero net carbon goals. Experts stress the importance of timely completion to prevent further strain on local transport systems and to enhance pedestrian safety.
While officials insist that the project is “on track” for completion in the coming months, the lack of transparency and repeated missed deadlines have eroded public trust. The Gati Shakti Unit’s ambitious vision for integrated, eco-friendly urban infrastructure faces a credibility test amid these challenges. The urgency for resolving these issues is heightened by the bridge’s role as a vital artery for thousands of commuters who rely on it daily. Beyond mere convenience, the footbridge is a crucial component of Mulund’s urban fabric, linking communities and enabling equitable access to essential services, workplaces, and transit hubs. As the city pushes toward more sustainable and inclusive infrastructure frameworks, the Mulund foot overbridge delay serves as a cautionary example of how administrative, technical, and environmental factors must be harmonised effectively. Failure to do so risks alienating the very citizens such projects are designed to benefit.
In the broader context, this project underscores the importance of integrating citizen-centric planning with timely execution to achieve truly equitable and sustainable urban mobility solutions. As Mumbai expands and modernises, ensuring that infrastructure projects meet deadlines and quality standards will be critical to shaping a greener, safer, and more connected city.
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