Mumbai: The Central Railway (CR) has assured that the Sion bridge will not be entirely demolished until an east-west pedestrian footbridge is constructed. While certain preparatory steps have been taken, including the removal of a public toilet on the east side and the relocation of BEST cables, only the eastbound lane of the bridge will be fully dismantled for now. The westbound lane will continue to be operational until a foot overbridge is in place, as per reports.
The decision follows strong opposition from elected representatives, activists and local leaders, who insisted that the demolition should not proceed without an alternative route. With schools like Our Lady of Good Counsel and Sadhana Vidyalaya located near Sion station, the partial closure of the bridge has already forced students to walk longer distances to board their school buses and vans.
To address these concerns, the CR has proposed a 56-metre-long, 3-metre-wide pedestrian footbridge at the southern end of the existing structure, reported Mid-day. This new bridge is intended to maintain connectivity for commuters, including students travelling to and from Dharavi. However, the project is awaiting clearance from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), as a 120-square-metre plot of land leased by the BMC for 99 years will be required for its construction.
About Sion Bridge Demolition
The Sion bridge, which is over 110 years old, has long been deemed structurally unsafe. It connects the Eastern Express Highway to Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Road and Dharavi Road. The 2020 IIT bridge audit report classified it as dilapidated, highlighting the urgent need for reconstruction due to safety risks.
The CR and BMC are working together to rebuild the bridge, ensuring it meets modern safety standards while also accommodating Mumbai’s growing railway infrastructure needs. The new design will eliminate support spans over railway tracks, creating space for two additional railway lines under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). As part of these changes, the railway span of the bridge will be expanded from 40 metres to 51 metres.
Delays in the demolition had been caused by obstacles such as a toilet block and four trees, which were eventually cleared. With these hurdles now addressed, the project is moving forward, with phased demolition and construction efforts underway to minimise disruption to daily commuters.
