Mumbai authorities have announced a temporary restriction on heavy vehicles crossing Dadar’s Tilak Bridge for a period of three months, aiming to ease congestion and improve traffic flow across one of the city’s busiest transit corridors. The measure, effective from 12 February to 12 May 2026, highlights the growing challenges of traffic management amid simultaneous urban infrastructure projects.
City planners and traffic officials observed that ongoing reconstruction of the Elphinstone Flyover and Sion Road Over Bridge has shifted substantial vehicle volumes onto surrounding arterial roads, creating frequent bottlenecks. To address this, the Municipal Traffic Division has barred large carriers—including tankers, concrete mixers, trailers, and dump trucks—from the Tilak Bridge daily between 7 am and 11 pm. The regulation seeks to prioritise smoother circulation for passenger vehicles while critical infrastructure work continues nearby. Senior traffic officials explained that the measure forms part of a broader strategy to manage pressure points in central Mumbai, particularly where east–west linkages intersect. Alternative routes have been designated to accommodate diverted heavy vehicles. Vehicles from peripheral regions such as Mulund, Mankhurd, and Navi Mumbai are advised to bypass the Tilak Bridge, taking routes via Sion Hospital Junction, Sulochana Shetty Marg, Kumbharwada Junction, Kataria Marg, and Veer Savarkar Road towards Shivaji Park and Siddhivinayak. North-bound vehicles are directed via Maheshwari Circle and Sion, while local connectors from Sena Bhavan and L.J. Road will utilise Shobha Hotel and Kumbharwada.
Urban mobility experts note that the temporary regulation reflects a growing need for coordinated planning during overlapping transport projects in Mumbai’s dense urban core. The restriction balances the operational requirements of ongoing construction with commuter safety, emergency response access, and equitable traffic distribution across neighbourhoods. Analysts highlight that such measures can reduce journey times for public transport and personal vehicles while maintaining continuity for essential services such as ambulances and deliveries. Enforcement will be carried out rigorously by the Matunga and Dadar Traffic Divisions under provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Officials stressed that adherence will be monitored continuously to prevent violations, with penalties applied for non-compliance. This level of supervision ensures that temporary restrictions do not inadvertently shift congestion to residential streets or compromise safety.
For Mumbai’s long-term urban infrastructure planning, the Tilak Bridge restriction underscores the importance of integrating construction scheduling, traffic engineering, and commuter communication. Authorities have indicated that similar interventions may be employed at other critical junctions during periods of high construction activity, aiming to maintain network resilience and optimise mobility across the metropolitan area.
Mumbai Restricts Heavy Vehicles On Dadar Tilak Bridge
