Mumbai's First Ever FOB With Escalators in Sion Is Open For Citizens

On of the most crucial foot-over-bridge (FOB) proposed over the arterial Dr BA Road in Sion is now open to pedestrians four years after the works first began.

After several extensions and cost escalations, Guardian Minister Deepak Kesarkar on Saturday, July 15, inaugurated the FOB, first one in the city with escalators for entry and exit.

The BMC awarded a contract to construct an FOB between Sion flyover and Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital (Sion Hospital) in January 2019. The work was expected to be completed in 15 months and the estimated cost was around INR 3.33 crore. But the delay increased the contract cost to INR 7.18 crore.  

This bridge is 44.04 meters long and 4.15 meters wide and it is estimated to see the footfall of nearly 7000 to 8000 passengers daily.

The civic body official attributed the delay to various factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting of underground utilities, traffic police permission, tree cutting permission, change in methodology from tubular truss to plate girder, cost variation and escalator delivery.

This bridge will benefit pedestrians going from GTB Nagar towards Sion station and also students of SIES college going towards GTB Nagar. Moreover, it is expected to reduce the number of accidents taken place in the region.

After the inaugural ceremony, Kesarkar exclaimed that the state government has started various projects for health, women empowerment, beautification of Mumbai, development of Mandya and Koliwadi. The state government intends to provide more facilities to the citizens and senior citizens of Mumbai.

Ten buses will be provided by BEST initiative to facilitate the travel of senior citizens of Mumbai. An initiative is being taken to provide moments of happiness in the lives of senior citizens of New York by taking them to places of rest by bus. On the same lines facilities will also be made available to the senior citizens of Mumbai. For this, the best buses will be made available from the funds of the District Planning Board.

Moreover, to provide employment to the local people, the facility of 'Food on Truck' has been made available in Koliwada, Mumbai. He also mentioned that as part of the quality facilities in the mandis, air-conditioned mandis would be provided at Lower Paral, adding that in order to provide employment to women, they would also provide space for business.