23 February,2024 07:08 AM IST | Mumbai | A Correspondent
The existing bridge comprises two spans and one of its pillars stands on the railway line. Pic/Satej Shinde
Central Railway (CR) has decided to disallow vehicles from plying the Sion rail overbridge from February 28. The bridge was to be shut on January 19, but the move was postponed after MP Rahul Shewale intervened and asked railway officials to first discuss the possible inconvenience faced by locals with the state government authorities.
Railway authorities decided to pull down the 110-year-old structure, which connects Sion East and West, to make way for the fifth and sixth railway lines.
"We got clearance from the state government to start the work," a railway official said on Friday.
"The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) had, in 2020, declared that the bridge was extremely dangerous as its life was ending," the official stated. The traffic police and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have already put up notices around the bridge informing motorists about alternative roads.
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Dr Swapnil Nila, chief spokesperson, CR, confirmed that the bridge would be shut to traffic from February 28.
According to the official, the first step would involve the removal of asphalt and clearing of cables, which will take a month. "Then the dates for implementing the mega block for demolishing the ROB will be decided," the official said.
An amount of Rs 23 crore towards the cost of the project will be borne by CR while Rs 26 crore will be borne by the BMC.
CR aims to complete the reconstruction of the bridge at Sion station in 24 months from the time of its demolition. The portion of the structure over the railway premises is around 40 metres long. This will be increased to 51 metres. The existing bridge comprises two spans and one of its pillars stands on the railway line. The new connector will have a single span and include no pillars.
This bridge is a crucial connector between the Eastern Express Highway and Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg and Dharavi. Lakhs of commuters use this connector to travel between the eastern and western parts of the city.
51 metres
Length of new structure over railway premises
