22 June,2026 06:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
With the steel girder now in place, construction activities such as deck slab work and road surfacing. Pic/ Central Railway
Central Railway has successfully launched a 500-tonne semi-through steel girder for the reconstruction of the Sion Road Over Bridge (ROB), marking a major milestone in the long-pending infrastructure project.
The girder was launched during a night traffic block between Matunga and Kurla stations as part of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Kurla fifth and sixth line project, one of Mumbai's key railway capacity enhancement initiatives.
The operation involved positioning and launching the massive steel span over active railway tracks within a limited block period. Railway officials described it as one of the most challenging phases of the bridge reconstruction project.
The girder was fabricated in Ambala and later assembled at the project site near the Kalyan-end approach of the bridge. Prior to the launch, engineers completed several preparatory works, including the installation of temporary trestles, launching arrangements and alignment checks.
Despite the challenges of working in a densely populated urban area and above one of the country's busiest suburban railway corridors, the launch was completed successfully.
According to Central Railway, the rebuilt Sion ROB is being designed to accommodate the expanded railway corridor under the CSMT-Kurla fifth and sixth line project.
The span over the railway tracks will increase from around 40 metres to nearly 54.5 metres, allowing space for additional railway lines and future operational requirements.
With the steel girder now in place, construction activities such as deck slab work, road surfacing, utility restoration, crash barrier installation and other finishing works are expected to progress at a faster pace.
The bridge had been closed after concerns were raised over the structural condition of the century-old ROB.
Once completed, the new Sion ROB will restore a crucial east-west road connection linking the Eastern Express Highway, LBS Road and Dharavi Road.
The reopening of the bridge is expected to provide relief to thousands of commuters who have been relying on longer alternative routes since the closure of the old structure.
Railway officials said the successful launch of the 500-tonne girder represents a significant engineering achievement and an important step towards the completion of one of Mumbai's critical infrastructure projects.
