In Mumbai, Sion road over bridge work speeds up, set to reopen March 2027

Mumbai: The Sion Road Over Bridge (ROB) moved a step closer to completion over the weekend, with Central Railway (CR) undertaking night blocks to launch girders for one carriageway of the structure.

The work is part of the project to lay the 5th and 6th lines between CSMT and Kurla, a corridor upgrade aimed at separating long-distance and suburban traffic in the future, said CR chief spokesperson Swapnil Nila on Sunday.The steel girders, fabricated in Ambala and assembled at the site near the Kalyan-end approach, were positioned near the rail tracks during the block intervening June 13–14 (Saturday/Sunday) to make them ready for launching, along with the completion of all intermediate trestle assembly works.

Officials said the assembled span was to be pushed over the lines for one lane, after which deck slab, road surfacing, utilities, crash barriers and other finishing works would be taken up.Once the girder launching is completed, the remaining works will be expedited and the bridge will be commissioned within this year, helping restore a crucial east-west connection, an official said. The ROB, shut for rebuilding after being declared unsafe, has long served as a key link between the Eastern Express Highway on one side and LBS Road and Dharavi Road on the other.

The 110-year-old structure had been under scrutiny for several years, with an IIT audit in 2020 pointing to its deteriorated condition. Its closure had forced motorists to take longer detours through already congested stretches of Sion, Dharavi and Kurla.CR and BMC are jointly executing the reconstruction. The portion of the bridge over the railway tracks, earlier about 40 m long, is being extended to around 54.5 m to provide clearance for additional lines and upgraded railway infrastructure.For the girder work, CR scheduled a block from 12:10 am to 4:10 am between Matunga and Kurla on all lines till early Sunday morning to complete all preparation activities for making the girder ready for launching. Now, the semi-through girder span will be launched by utilising subsequent daily night blocks. Several Mail and Express trains, including Konark Express, Howrah-CSMT Express and Mangaluru-CSMT Express, were regulated en route.Suburban services between CSMT-Kurla and Thane-Kalyan were also suspended during the block, leading to cancellations, short-terminations and changes in originating stations.Some local trains were started from Kurla, Thane or Kalyan to reduce inconvenience to commuters.Railway officials said further blocks may be required as work on the second lane progresses after launching of the first girder.