Move was put off because of board exams; Central Railway plans to finish work in two years
The portion of the structure over railway premises is around 40 metres long. File Pic/Satej Shinde
- Sion rail overbridge (ROB) will be closed to traffic for two years from March 28
- The bridge’s demolition was scheduled for January 20
- Railway authorities decided to close the bridge on February 28
The Sion rail overbridge (ROB), which is due to be reconstructed, will be closed to traffic for two years from March 28. The bridge’s demolition was scheduled for January 20, but it was later postponed as locals and MP Rahul Shewale intervened. After that, railway authorities decided to close the bridge on February 28. However, the closure was postponed due to the HSC and SSC exams. Railway authorities confirmed said the process of demolishing the bridge would occur in a step-by-step manner. “First, shift utilities must be shifted and tar removed. The final stage is dismantling the structure,” a Central Railway (CR) official said.
The Sion rail overbridge on January 22, 2024. File Pic/Satej Shinde
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After the removal of the Sion ROB, at least 20 Bombay Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus routes will be affected. Five routes will terminate, while the other 15 will be diverted from the Bandra Kurla Complex-Chunabhatti connector and Pila Bungalow, impacting over 10,000 commuters. As the ROB is a major connector between Dharavi, Bandra, Lal Bahadur Shastri Road and Sion, a large number of motorists and commuters will be affected due to the closure of the bridge. Motorists will now have to take the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road via Kurla, which connects the Eastern Express Highway and Lal Bahadur Shastri Road and the Sulochana Shetty Marg near Sion Hospital, which connects Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road to Kumbharwada in Dharavi.
There also is the Chunabhatti-Bandra Kurla Complex connector. But two and three-wheelers are not allowed on it CR aims to complete the reconstruction of the bridge at Sion station in 24 months from the time of its demolition. The portion of the structure over railway premises is around 40 metres long. This will be increased to 51 metres. The demolition is being carried out to make way for the 5th and 6th railway lines.
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