Mumbai’s 112-year-old Elphinstone Bridge, a British-era landmark linking the dense neighbourhoods of Parel and Prabhadevi, is set to be dismantled beginning Sunday night. The move marks the start of a major infrastructure transition, as the structure will make way for the Sewri–Worli Elevated Corridor, a modern double-decker bridge designed to ease congestion and support the city’s expanding sustainable mobility network.
According to officials from the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC), the demolition will begin with the section spanning active railway lines, a highly technical operation expected to continue until January. The project follows seven weeks of preparatory work during which approach roads to the bridge were dismantled. The Elphinstone Bridge, built in 1913 and once a vital connector for central Mumbai, was closed to vehicular traffic earlier this year after it was declared structurally unsafe. The new bridge will be integrated into the upcoming 4.5-km Sewri–Worli Elevated Corridor — a ₹1,286-crore project being developed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to connect Senapati Bapat Road in the west with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road in the east.
MRIDC, a joint venture between the Maharashtra government and the Ministry of Railways, is overseeing demolition and reconstruction of the section above the railway lines. Officials confirmed that the corporation has received necessary clearances from both Central and Western Railways to proceed with the work. “The process will involve 78 rail blocks, each lasting around four hours, to safely remove iron girders using two 800-tonne cranes,” an official said. While Central and Western Railways are expected to issue advisories on potential weekend service disruptions, the demolition is being planned in phases to minimise impact on suburban and long-distance train operations. However, a payment dispute between MRIDC and the railways over way-leave charges remains unresolved. The corporation will therefore begin dismantling the portion that falls under Central Railway’s jurisdiction, where permissions have already been finalised.
The new double-decker bridge will feature an open-web girder design to accommodate both vehicular and pedestrian movement. The lower deck will provide four lanes and a pedestrian walkway, while the upper level will link the Bandra–Worli Sea Link to the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu). The railway portion alone will cost approximately ₹167.35 crore to reconstruct. Urban planners note that replacing ageing infrastructure like Elphinstone Bridge with multi-use, energy-efficient corridors is essential for improving mobility and resilience in a city as dense as Mumbai. The new structure, due for completion by December 2026, represents both a structural renewal and a step towards a cleaner, better-connected urban future.
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