Mumbai News: Sion Foot Over Bridge Ready After 3-Year Delay, Doubled Cost

Mumbai: After several extensions and cost escalation, one of the important foot overbridges (FOB) proposed over the arterial Dr BA Road in Sion is now open to pedestrians. The FOB was inaugurated by guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar on Saturday morning. It is the city’s first FOB to have an escalator for entry and exit.

The BMC awarded a contract to construct an FOB between Sion flyover and Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital (Sion Hospital) in January 2019. The work was expected to be completed in 15 months and the estimated cost was around Rs3.33 crore. 

Delays in project

However, the construction was delayed owing to several factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic, shifting of underground utilities, traffic police permission, tree cutting permission, change in methodology from tubular truss to plate girder, cost variation and escalator delivery. The delay also increased the contract cost to Rs7.18 crore.

The FOB is set to offer great relief for pedestrians from GTB Nagar towards Sion station. Even SIES college students now have easy access to GTB Nagar. If pedestrians use the FOB, road accidents will be reduced and vehicles will be able to ply obstruction-free towards Dadar. 

Civic officials said that the bridge is made of robust material to ensure longevity and resistance to corrosion. As per civic estimate, around 7,000 to 8,000 pedestrians will use the bridge daily.

Pointers:

Total length 44.04mt 
Width 4.15mt

2 escalators 
2 staircases

2019 contract awarded
Delayed by 3 years 
Original cost Rs3.33 cr
Revised cost Rs7.18 cr