Mumbai: Seven months later, D-Day for Sion bridge

Recently, the bridge was closed to heavy motor vehicles. File pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

The 110-year-old Sion bridge will be closed to traffic for the next two years, starting Thursday (August 1), as the Central Railway undertakes its demolition and reconstruction. The demolition phase is anticipated to last four to five months. Originally scheduled for demolition on January 20, the closure of the road overbridge (ROB), which connects Dharavi, Bandra and LBS Road to the eastern part of Sion and Bharatratna Ambedkar Road, was postponed several times owing to the LS polls and the various exams.

About 10,000 BEST bus commuters will be impacted by the bridge closure. The section of the bridge over the railway is currently 40 metres long and will be extended to 51 metres to fit the new 5th and 6th railway lines. The bridge will stay closed until July 31, 2026, with the reconstruction costing around Rs 51 crore.

"The demolition of the current bridge will occur step by step and is expected to take 4 to 5 months," said Dr Swapnil Nila, chief spokesperson of Central Railway. "First, utilities will be moved from the bridge. Then, the road surface will be removed, followed by the removal of the iron structure. This work can only be done at night while the railway is closed or during megablock times," Dr Nila added.

According to the Central Railway notification, pedestrians can use a public foot-over bridge at Dharavi Dhobighat, which is 500 metres from Sion station towards the Matunga side, and another FOB towards the Kurla side, 350 metres from Sion station.

The iconic Sion bridge to shut down for reconstruction work. Pic/Kirti Surve Parade

Alternative routes for the Sion ROB closure include Sulochana Shetty Marg near Lokmanya Tilak Hospital, Sion; Chunabhatti to BKC Connector; and Chembur-Santacruz Link Road. Two- and three-wheelers are not allowed on the Chunabhatti connector.

According to the traffic police, light vehicles coming from Kurla via LBS Road and Sant Rohidas Road should turn right at Pehalwan Naresh Mane Chowk and follow Sant Rohidas Road, Ashok Mill Naka, K.K. Krishnan Menan Marg, Kumbharwada Junction, Sulochana Shetty Road, and Sion hospital Bridge.

Heavy vehicles from Kurla should turn right before Pehalwan Naresh Mane Chowk, follow Dharavi Kacharpatti Junction Signal, then go via Dharavi Depot Road, Sion-Bandra Link Road, Mahim-Sion Link Road, Kemkar Chowk, Sant Kabir Marg, Sulochana Shetty Road, and Dharavi Railway Bridge Road.

Traffic from Western Express and Kalanar Junction should use Sion-Bandra Link Road, turn right at Dharavi T-Junction, then left at Kemkar Chowk, and proceed via Sant Kabir Marg, Kumbharwada Junction, and Sion Hospital Bridge to their destination.

To better manage traffic, the Traffic Police have declared nine roads around Sion and Dharavi as no-parking zones.

4-5 months
Time required to demolish the bridge