The long-stalled Sion bridge project finally saw a breakthrough this weekend, with a new foot overbridge (FOB) for local residents completed and opened to the public. The development clears the way for the long-delayed demolition and reconstruction of the main Sion road bridge — a vital east-west connector spanning the Central Railway (CR) tracks.
Railway officials said that with the commissioning of the FOB, the stage is now set for the full demolition of the ageing bridge — a crucial step in the joint reconstruction project undertaken by CR and the BMC.
The people using the new FOB. Pics/By Special Arrangement
According to CR officials, demolition work is expected to be completed by January 2026, after which the reconstruction of the new bridge will begin. Preparatory works have already started at both ends. The BMC aims to complete and open the new bridge by May 2026, ahead of the monsoon.
As part of the new design, the rebuilt bridge will no longer have supporting spans within the railway area, freeing up space for two additional railway lines — part of the planned fifth and sixth line expansion between Kurla and Dadar. The bridge span over the railway portion will be extended from the current 40 metres to 51 metres.
With the new FOB now operational, one of Mumbai’s longest-standing transport bottlenecks is finally moving toward resolution. The 110-year-old bridge, which connects the Eastern Express Highway to Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Road and Dharavi Road, had been declared dangerous years ago. An IIT bridge audit in 2020 had warned that keeping it operational over active rail lines was “extremely risky,” as its structural life had expired.
