Mumbai's Elphinstone ROB to close for traffic from April 10

By DASI PURNA KARTHIK

On 09 Apr 2025 12:30:11

Mumbai's Elphinstone ROB to close for traffic from April 10

The century-old Elphinstone Road Over Bridge (ROB), one of the crucial east-west links in Mumbai, will be closed for vehicular traffic for two years from Thursday in view of its reconstruction work, officials said on Wednesday.??

The ROB, connecting Parel and Prabhadevi areas in central Mumbai, will be shut to facilitate its demolition and reconstruction as part of the Sewri-Worli Elevated Connector project of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

The closure might cause traffic congestion and disruptions, especially in Dadar, Lower Parel, Curry Road and Bharatmata areas of central Mumbai.

The Mumbai Traffic Police on Tuesday issued a draft notification and invited objections from the public regarding traffic arrangements following the closure of the east-west link. The feedback will be accepted till April 13.

The existing Elphinstone bridge, which is set to be dismantled, is 13 metres wide and currently accommodates only 1.5 lanes of traffic in each direction.

According to the MMRDA officials, dismantling the more than 100-year-old ROB is a time-sensitive task, which they plan to complete before the onset of the monsoon.

Its demolition will make way for a modern double-decker structure that is expected to significantly improve the east-west connectivity in the metropolis.

The first level of the new double-decker bridge will feature a 2+2 lane carriageway for traffic between Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road and Senapati Bapat Road, while the second level will accommodate a 2+2 lane carriageway for traffic heading from the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL, also known as Atal Setu) to the Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL).

The Sewri-Worli Elevated Connector will be a 4.5-km long and it will have four-lane (2+2) carriageways. It will link MTHL with BWSL, which is a key connect between the city's northern and southern coastal roads on west coast, officials said.

"The corridor connects the Atal Setu seamlessly with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and the Mumbai Coastal Road, significantly reducing travel time and providing signal-free access to central and south Mumbai for commuters from neighbouring Navi Mumbai," a MMRDA official said.