Mumbai’s Sion bridge is set to reopen this weekend after being closed for more than two years, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) completing final works on the rebuilt structure and awaiting a no-objection certificate from the traffic police department.
The new Sion bridge, a key East-West connection in one of Mumbai’s high-footfall areas, is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 60 crore jointly by the BMC and Central Railway. Civic authorities are currently completing road markings, installing beams and traffic lights, and finishing other ancillary works before vehicular movement can begin.
A civic official said the authorities had fixed October 15 as the deadline for opening the bridge. The official added that load testing was completed last week, but the remaining works and the traffic police NOC must be completed before the bridge is opened to vehicles.
The rebuilt structure will be 61 metres long, compared with 40 metres for the earlier bridge. It will have four vehicular lanes, double the previous capacity, along with a dedicated footpath connecting commuters to Sion railway station. An underpass is also planned to facilitate both vehicular and pedestrian movement in the area.
The bridge replaces the Sion Railway Over Bridge, which was constructed in 1912. A structural audit conducted in 2019 had flagged the old bridge’s precarious condition, leading to its demolition and reconstruction. The replacement project has involved coordination between the BMC and Central Railway, including the handover of land for the eastern approach.
Steel beams for the new bridge were launched in July. Work on the eastern approach began last month after Central Railway handed over a portion of land to the BMC on August 25. The opening was delayed while the approach and associated works were completed.
The prolonged closure has caused inconvenience to citizens in the area, where the bridge connects local roads, the railway station and surrounding high-traffic neighbourhoods. Sports commentator Harsha Bhogle also urged authorities to open the bridge at the earliest if it was ready, citing the hardship caused to the public by the delay.
The bridge will be opened for vehicular movement after the remaining ancillary works are completed and the traffic police department issues its NOC. The October 15 deadline remains the civic administration’s stated target for opening the rebuilt connection.
