Three new bridges at Sion, Vidyavihar and Goregaon-Mulund to open in Mumbai on Thursday

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Wednesday that the bridges at Sion, Vidyavihar and Goregaon-Mulund in Mumbai will be inaugurated on Thursday. The three projects are expected to improve road and rail connectivity in the city and reduce traffic congestion. It had earlier been said, on October 15, that a VIP's time was awaited for a joint inauguration of the three bridges.

According to a government statement, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will inaugurate all three bridges virtually at 1 pm. Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar will be present. Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde will preside over the function, and it will be broadcast live at all three sites. According to the BMC, the bridges will improve east-west connectivity, shorten journeys for motorists and help the expansion of Mumbai's suburban rail network.

The rebuilt railway flyover near Sion station is a key link connecting Dharavi, Bandra, the Bandra-Kurla Complex and Kurla on the west with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road and the Eastern Express Highway on the east. The 112-year-old bridge had been declared unsafe, which is why it had to be rebuilt. Another reason was to make room for the proposed fifth and sixth rail lines between CSMT and Kurla under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project-II.

The main bridge over the rail tracks has been built by Central Railway. The BMC's bridges department, in coordination with railway officials, improved and strengthened the approach roads. The new structure has two semi-through steel girders. Each girder weighs 496 tonnes and is 54.5 metres long and 26 metres wide. Approach roads have been built towards Lal Bahadur Shastri Road on the Kurla side, Sant Rohidas Road on the Dharavi side and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road in the east.

The work was earlier due to be completed by February 2027 but has been finished four months ahead of that. Problems such as shifting utility lines for electricity and water, affected trees and public toilets also came up. The entire cost has been borne by the railways. The pillars of the old bridge stood between the tracks, in the way of the fifth and sixth lines. The new through-span design gives more room for expansion. The additional lines are expected to improve suburban train operations and ease the movement of long-distance trains. Two pedestrian subways linked to the work are also ready. The new subway under Lal Bahadur Shastri Road on the west side opened on February 20, 2026, and the rebuilt subway under Sant Rohidas Road opened on July 14, 2026.

The new flyover near Vidyavihar station will connect Ramchandra Chemburkar Road in the Ghatkopar area on the east with Lal Bahadur Shastri Road on the west. According to the BMC, the journey between the two sides will fall from about 30 minutes to 10 minutes. Congestion is also expected to ease on the flyover near Ghatkopar railway station. The total length of the project is about 650 metres, including a 100-metre stretch over the tracks and approach roads of 220 metres on the east and 330 metres on the west.

The bridge has two lanes and is between 15.5 and 17.5 metres wide. Two girders, each 99.34 metres long and 24.5 metres wide, have been installed in the railway section. The project required shifting railway utilities, building service roads on both sides, widening the Somaiya nullah and removing Central Railway facilities. All this work was completed by September 30, 2026. Access to the station platforms has also been provided, and the ticket counters, the station master's office and the staircases have been rebuilt.

The third flyover is part of the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project, which aims to connect the Eastern Express Highway with the Western Express Highway and make travel between the eastern and western suburbs easier. The 1.26-km flyover, with three lanes in each direction, has been built at the junction near Hotel Ratnagiri in Goregaon East. It runs from General Arun Kumar Vaidya Marg to Santosh Nagar on Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari Road.

The BMC says it will ease congestion around General Arun Kumar Vaidya Marg, Dindoshi Court, Hotel Ratnagiri junction and Walbhat river junction. The flyover uses precast box-shaped concrete segments. A curved steel structure has been installed between pillars P7 and P11 to suit the complex layout of the junction. The design includes curved spans, several connecting flyover structures, foundations suited to local geological conditions and sloping approach roads. The flyover is a key part of the GMLR, which also proposes twin tunnels to connect the eastern and western suburbs.