Mumbai: Now, Sion bridge expected to be shut after monsoon

The Sion ROB connects Dharavi and Bandra to the eastern part of the city. Pic/Satej Shinde

The reconstruction of the Sion rail overbridge (ROB) is likely to commence after the monsoon.

Central Railway (CR) officials told mid-day that a few bridge construction activities were pending in Mumbai. "Our focus is to complete these projects first. The Sion bridge reconstruction work is likely to start after the monsoon," an official said.

Dr Swapnil Nila, chief spokesperson, CR, said that the ROB closure date had not been fixed yet. According to railway officials, once the ROB is closed to the public, it will take a month to remove the asphalt and clear cables and other structures. After that, the date for demolishing the ROB will be decided.

CR has decided to reconstruct the century-old Sion ROB as a few girders had deteriorated and room had to be created for the fifth and sixth lines on which long-distance trains will run. However, the date for shutting down the bridge to traffic has been postponed three times since January. The initial date for closing the ROB was January 20, but later February 28 was set as the new date. However, the razing was postponed yet again as students appearing for board examinations, which were scheduled to end in the last week of March, would be inconvenienced. Later, railway authorities decided to close the bridge after the Lok Sabha election.

An important connector, the Sion ROB connects LBS Road, Dharavi and Bandra to the eastern part of the city. Around 10,000 BEST bus commuters will be affected by the closure of the bridge. The portion of the structure over the railway premises is around 40 metres long. This will be increased to 51 metres to make way for the new tracks.