Elphinstone Bridge Demolition: Final Phase Of Razing Railway Section Of Mumbai's Century-Old Bridge To Begin On Sunday Night
Mumbai: Mumbai’s historic 112-year-old Elphinstone Bridge, a British-era structure linking Parel and Prabhadevi, will begin its final phase of demolition on Sunday night. Officials from the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC) confirmed that the dismantling of the bridge’s railway portion is expected to be completed by January 2026.
The bridge, built in 1913 and originally known as Parel Bridge, was shut for vehicular traffic on September 12 due to safety concerns. Over the past seven weeks, the approach roads have been completely removed, leaving behind a 132-metre section that runs above active railway lines. “This Sunday, we will mobilise men and machinery to initiate demolition of the portion above the tracks,” an MRIDC official said, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
The demolition marks a key step in facilitating the construction of the Sewri-Worli Elevated Corridor, a 4.5-km double-decker road link being built by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). This corridor aims to ease east-west traffic by connecting Senapati Bapat Road and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road on the lower deck, and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link with the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu) on the upper deck.
78 Rail Blocks Required To Complete Demolition
MRIDC, a joint venture between the Maharashtra government and the Ministry of Railways, is tasked with removing and rebuilding the section passing over the tracks. The agency has received approval from both Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) to proceed. To manage the complex task, the demolition will require 78 rail blocks, each lasting four hours, to ensure minimal disruption to train operations. The exact schedule of block periods and potential suburban service changes will be announced by CR and WR in the coming weeks.
Two massive 800-metric-tonne cranes will be deployed at the site to lift and dismantle the heavy iron girders once the debris from the approach roads is cleared. However, the project continues to face financial disputes, MRIDC is yet to settle way-leave charges with Western Railway. While CR has demanded Rs 10 crore, WR has sought Rs 59.14 crore, pending approval from MMRDA. As a result, work will commence from the eastern side, which falls under CR’s jurisdiction.
The Elphinstone Bridge was originally designed for a much smaller population and has long been a bottleneck for traffic. Its replacement, a modern double-decker bridge with an open web girder design, will form a crucial part of Mumbai’s evolving transport infrastructure. The railway portion alone is expected to cost Rs 167.35 crore, while the full Sewri-Worli Elevated Corridor project is valued at Rs 1,286 crore and slated for completion by December 2026.
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