Traffic police invite objections to proposed diversions after Elphinstone bridge closure

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Traffic Police on Tuesday issued a notification proposing traffic diversions and regulations that will be enforced once the 125-year-old Elphinstone Bridge is demolished. The notification was issued after the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) proposed demolishing the bridge by April 10.

The traffic police have invited citizens to send any suggestions or objections to the proposed diversions and regulations before April 13. If they don’t receive any objections, the bridge will be closed for demolition in the following five to six days, said a traffic police officer. If they receive objections, the traffic police will consider them and decide on further action, the officer added.

As reported by HT on January 31, MMRDA wants to demolish the British-era Elphinstone Bridge to make way for a broader, four-lane double-decker bridge whose upper deck will be a part of the upcoming Sewri-Worli elevated connector.

The closure of the vital east-west connector is expected to significantly impact traffic, especially in the congested Parel area, which is home to prominent hospitals such as Tata Memorial Hospital and KEM Hospital. Traffic density has also increased in the area in the last two decades after deserted mill complexes that once spurred the city’s growth were converted into swanky malls and offices.

To prevent danger, obstruction, and inconvenience to the public, the notice issued by Pradip Chavan, Deputy Commissioner of Police, East Suburban, Traffic, lists alternate routes for vehicles, including taking the Tilak Bridge in Dadar and the Currey Road Bridge.

For pedestrians, the existing foot overbridge near Parel Station will be designated a non-ticketed zone for public use. A new foot-over bridge is under construction near Prabhadevi station and is likely to be ready soon.

“For emergencies, ambulance vehicles will be stationed on both sides of the bridge round the clock,” an MMRDA official said. One ambulance will be made available on the west side of the Prabhadevi railway station, while the other one will be on the east side of the Parel station. Wheelchairs have also been arranged for patients along with the ambulances, the official added.

The Elphinstone bridge, which is 13 metres wide and has only 1.5 lanes in each direction, will be replaced by a four-lane double-decker bridge. The lower deck will cater to traffic between Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road and Senapati Bapat Road—essentially the replacement of the Elphinstone bridge.

The upper deck will be a part of the 4.5-km-long Sewri-Worli Elevated Connector, a signal-free bridge connecting the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, also known as Atal Setu. So far, approximately 60% of the connector’s work has been completed.

MMRDA initially planned to commence the work in February but delayed it by a couple of months to let the board exams for classes 10 and 12 end so that students aren’t inconvenienced. Another reason for the delay was the permissions and clearances needed from multiple government agencies—MMRDA, Western Railway, Central Railway, the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation, and the Mumbai traffic police—involved or affected by the project.