Mumbai News: Delay Looms Over Demolition Of Century-Old Elphinstone Road Bridge At Prabhadevi

Mumbai: The long-awaited demolition of the 100-year-old Elphinstone Road bridge at Prabhadevi is once again facing delays. According to a senior Western Railway official, the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC), also known as MahaRail, has not yet submitted the revised demolition plan to Western Railway.

However, MahaRail claims that they have already submitted all necessary documentation to Western Railway. 'The compliance has been addressed and a reply with clarification was sent to WR on 4th April 2025,' said a spokesperson for MahaRail

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A senior officer of WR claimed that MahaRail had submitted an initial demolition plan in March 2025. However, Western Railway returned the proposal with critical observations, primarily citing shortcomings in safety protocols and technical specifications. Six months later, the updated and comprehensive plan remains pending, raising serious concerns about the timeline for both demolition and reconstruction.

"The demolition of the old structure is a crucial first step before we can begin constructing the new bridge, which is intended to ease congestion and ensure greater safety for lakhs of daily commuters," said a senior Western Railway official.

Key concerns raised during the review included detailed technical specifications, such as the types of cranes and machinery to be deployed during demolition, methods for disposing of construction debris, and a clearly defined sequence for dismantling vital structural elements like cross girders, stringer assemblies, footpaths, and the deck slab.

More importantly, the Railways sought stringent safety assurances. These include the mandatory use of safe lifting hooks instead of slings when handling main girders, comprehensive load-bearing capacity assessments, and updated soil condition reports. Officials stressed that unless these critical issues are adequately addressed, demolition work cannot proceed safely.

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