The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is set to demolish the 125-year-old Elphinstone Road Over Bridge to reconstruct it into double-decker bridge. The demolition is expected to start by the end of February.
The bridge was built during British rule and is an important east-west link. It spans the railway tracks near Prabhadevi and Parel stations. The MMRDA plans to increase the height and width of the bridge. This is necessary for the new Sewri-Worli connector, which will cross over it.
Once completed, a double-decker bridge will be constructed over the railway tracks. This will be Mumbai's second double-decker bridge, following the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR).
The Sewri-Worli connector will connect the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and the Atal Setu. The 4.5 km-long connector will be signal-free. It will rise 27 meters above the ground and cross through crowded parts of central Mumbai.
The road will pass over railway tracks at Prabhadevi, Parel, and Sewri; the monorail line; the Parel flyover on the Eastern Express Highway; and the Elphinstone flyover on Senapati Bapat Marg.
The connector is expected to carry 15% of Atal Setu's vehicle traffic. It will reduce travel time from Sewri to Worli from 40–60 minutes to under 10 minutes. The highway will feature four lanes, with two lanes in each direction. The project is slated for completion by early 2026.
The exact timeline for the bridge's demolition and reconstruction isn't yet determined, as the tender process is still pending. The government took five years, from 2018 to 2023, to demolish, rebuild, and reopen the Delisle Road bridge at Lower Parel railway station.
The demolition will also impact Prabhadevi station because it has two exits from the bridge. According to a Western Railway spokesperson, booking offices will be relocated to either side of the station. Minor disruptions in train operations are anticipated. Traffic barriers will be placed during the demolition and reconstruction phases.
Aaditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Worli MLA, recently met with MMRDA commissioner Mukherjee. Thackeray urged the MMRDA to postpone the demolition until April to avoid disrupting board exam students.