A container truck collided with the height gauge barrier of the Kings Circle Road Under Bridge ( RUB) on Saturday early morning, leading to significant traffic congestion. The accident, which occurred around 4 am, caused disruptions during morning hours, but authorities managed to clear the debris within an hour.
Fortunately, the road under bridge (RUB) and railway operations were not affected by the incident. The senior official of Central Railway (CR) confirmed that the height gauge was repaired and re-erected.
According to a police officer from the Sion Police station, the truck driver, identified as Mohammad Bashir, 24, from Haryana, was not intoxicated at the time of the accident. The driver reportedly failed to assess the height of the bridge properly and drove under it, causing the collision. An FIR has been filed against Bashir for rash driving and damaging public property under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
"The Traffic Police Department should enforce a ban on heavy vehicles in the middle lanes or divert them well before this bridge," said an official of CR. "It is understood that the MCGM raised the road level of the middle two lanes to prevent traffic blockages during the monsoon floods under the RUB. However, by raising the road level by nearly 2 feet, the standard clearance has been compromised, resulting in frequent accidents and collisions with the height barriers."
The truck, which was traveling from Haryana, was cleared from the scene within an hour, and no injuries were reported.
However, this incident highlights a growing concern among railway officials. Over the past two years, they have repeatedly written to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (MCGM) regarding the rising frequency of such accidents. Data from 2024 alone indicates that 38 similar incidents occurred, including at additional barriers near Sion Hospital and on the Dadar side of the bridge.
Officials believe that the situation worsened after the MCGM raised the road height under the bridge to prevent flooding. The modification reduced the clearance, especially in the middle lane, which has become a frequent site for such collisions. As per regulations, the minimum clearance for an underpass should be 5.0 meters, or preferably 5.5 meters in urban areas. However, due to the elevation of the road, the clearance in the middle two lanes is currently only 4.29 meters.
The repeated accidents have raised concerns about the safety of the bridge, and authorities are calling for urgent measures to address the clearance issue and prevent further incidents.
"Despite several letters to the MCGM, the clearance issue of the bridge remains unresolved, leading to frequent incidents. While the bridge structure is quite strong, this negligence could potentially lead to a major mishap in the future," said a railway official.
