An extremely long queue of traffic at either end of the Tilak bridge, Dadar, which is in the heart of the city has been worrying motorists. mid-day visited the bridge to find out the cause and most of the motorists, locals and the traffic police on the ground said that the traffic problem had increased after the shutting down of the Sion bridge, which was a key east-west link and also due to the under-construction work of the new bridge. 
 
“Construction work on the new bridge is already underway, and since the closure of the Sion bridge in August, traffic at BKC and Tilak bridge has increased significantly. The Sion bridge provided a direct route for commuters heading to the suburbs or using LBS Road from the city. With its closure and the Dharavi bridge being less popular due to the required detour, most commuters now prefer Tilak bridge. Additionally, the Matunga bridge was temporarily closed for urgent repairs last week,” a traffic official said.

“Work on the new bridge has been going on simultaneously but has not yet affected traffic movement majorly. Due to the work, some of the footpaths and staircases are blocked leading to problems for pedestrians. The Tilak bridge is proving to be very narrow for the volume of vehicles,” Ramesh Gadkari, a local commuter said.