The Bandra skywalk, which connects Bandra Station to the Lucky Junction on SV Road, is set for another round of dismantling. This comes after a large portion of it was taken down about seven months ago to accommodate the construction of Metro Line 2B.
The protective cover around the location was removed, but the walkway, pillars, and metal bars of the skywalk were left. The pillars block the pedestrian traffic at ground level. Now, the decision has been made to remove these remaining parts of the skywalk.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) handed over the skywalk to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is now responsible for its demolition. To start the demolition, the imam of a mosque near Bandra station was asked to crack a coconut at the site.
The skywalk was an important link for people accessing the mosque, municipal schools, and mandirs. This was because the road below is quite narrow. During that time, there were suggestions to install escalators at key locations along the skywalk to facilitate pedestrian movement.
But it would have blocked the construction of Metro Line 2B. The skywalk, which cost INR 28.74 crore to construct, was used by approximately 30,000 commuters during peak hours every day, according to a 2017 report by Quint.
In 2019, the MMRDA announced plans to demolish three skywalks on S V Road in Bandra, Santacruz, and Vile Parle to make way for Metro Line II-B. The proposal was approved by the BMC that year.
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