mid-day’s visit to the 342-metre-long structure revealed patchy surfacing and tyre marks, prompting concerns about construction quality just minutes into its public debut. Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner in charge of BMC’s bridges department, downplayed the concerns
Sindoor Bridge opened to the public on Thursday
Barely hours after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the newly rebuilt Sindoor Bridge — formerly known as Carnac Bridge — in South Mumbai on Thursday morning, vehicles began plying on its uneven, visibly worn surface.
mid-day’s visit to the 342-metre-long structure revealed patchy surfacing and tyre marks, prompting concerns about construction quality just minutes into its public debut. Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner in charge of BMC’s bridges department, downplayed the concerns, clarifying that what appeared to be potholes were not actual damage but a result of the mastic asphalt surface setting in.
Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner in charge of the bridges department, told mid-day on Thursday evening, “This is not a pothole. Mastic asphalt has been used to surface the road, which is a high-quality material. There are two ways to lay mastic — manually or using paver machines. When pavers are used, the finish is much smoother. As traffic increases over time, the surface will settle and even out.”
Close-up of patchy mastic finish on Sindoor Bridge; (right) uneven road surfacing visible on Sindoor Bridge a few hours after opening. PICS/ASHISH RAJE
He attributed the visible tyre marks to high ambient temperatures which caused the mastic to soften. “The marks are from vehicles ferrying materials during construction. The bridge surface shows signs of this,” he added. Bangar also confirmed he had walked the length of the bridge during multiple site inspections, including the day before the inauguration.
“Had there been potholes, we wouldn’t have inaugurated it.” The bridge, a key east-west connector between P D’Mello Road and Dhobi Talao in the crowded Masjid Bunder area, opened to traffic at 3 pm on Thursday.
Name erases colonial past
The former Carnac Bridge has now been renamed Sindoor Bridge, in tribute to Operation Sindoor, a precision strike carried out by the Indian Army in response to the Pahalgam attacks. Chief Minister Fadnavis said the renaming aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s broader vision to remove colonial-era names and symbols.
“This bridge was named after a British governor who presided over atrocities against Indians. We have taken steps to part from this period by renaming the bridge,” Fadnavis said during the event. “It is a mark of respect for the bravery and precision of the Indian army while carrying out the operation Sindoor,” he added.
The new name was proposed by Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. Fadnavis thanked the BMC for accepting the proposal and lauded engineers for completing the project in a record one year, despite logistical and railway-related challenges.
Bridge details
Location: Masjid Bunder, South Mumbai
Connectivity: Links P D’Mello Road (East) to Dhobi Talao (West)
Purpose: Eases east-west traffic congestion in a high-density zone
Length: 342 metres (70 metres over railway tracks)
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