The newly reconstructed Reay Road cable-stayed ROB, meant to ease traffic congestion, has sparked public outcry after it became evident that it does not provide pedestrian access to the adjacent Reay Road railway station. Commuters have been left in the lurch as the new bridge sits nearly seven feet above the station’s 115-year-old heritage entry, rendering it completely inaccessible for those looking to connect to the railway booking office.
Defending the decision, an official of the Bridge Department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) stated that the height of the new cable stayed bridge had to be raised by 1.8 meters compared to the previous structure, in compliance with specifications set by the Railways. This increase has led to a mismatch in levels between the bridge and the station’s existing infrastructure.
“The old ticket counter structure is outdated and too low in height. We are planning to redevelop it and raise it accordingly by 1.8 meters,” said an official from the BMC’s Bridge Department. “The proposed new ticket office will be integrated with a foot overbridge (FOB) on the south side of the station, to connect pedestrians from the new ROB directly to the station.”
According to senior official of the Bridge Department of the BMC, construction of the proposed FOB is to be undertaken jointly by the BMC and Central Railway, with the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC also known as MahaRail) having already submitted cost estimates. The project is currently under scrutiny.
When contacted, a senior official of Central Railway stated, “The planning of the bridge was completely done by the BMC. We have given blocks without any delay and, on many occasions, even made requests to complete it early so that we could take up other bridge rehabilitation works. The BMC does not plan properly, as apparent in the delay for the blocks on 26th January, when the entire traffic was held up for more than six hours — similar to the MMRDA disruption a few days back.”
However, until the FOB is built, commuters are facing severe inconvenience. “It’s a complete mess,” said a local resident. “People coming from Mazagaon, Byculla, and Darukhana have to take long detours. The direct connection we had for decades is gone.”
Another commuter expressed frustration: “It’s shocking that a new bridge was built without a pedestrian access point to the station. It seems the authorities are only thinking about cars, not about rail users or pedestrians.”
According to sources, footpaths have also not been constructed along the new ROB due to concerns about future encroachments and the pending FOB. At present, pedestrians must rely on the existing public foot overbridge on the north side of Reay Road station, further adding to their inconvenience.
