Mumbai, April 16: Despite a 15-day delay in the first girder launch for the Sion Railway Overbridge (ROB), Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has asked railway officials to expedite work and meet the May 31 deadline. She has also directed the BMC’s bridge department to coordinate with the railways to ensure completion by July 15.
Inspection highlights delay
Since its closure in August 2024, the century-old bridge in front of Sion Station has disrupted daily commutes and caused considerable inconvenience to passengers.
On Thursday, Bhide, along with officials, inspected the construction site. It was noted that the installation of steel girders has been delayed by 15 days. The work, originally scheduled for completion by April 30, has now been rescheduled to May 15.
Deadline set for girder installation
While the installation of the first girder has been delayed, Bhide instructed that the setback be offset by expediting all associated works. She further directed that the installation of both girders be completed by May 31. Bhide emphasised that the BMC's Bridge Department and the Railway Department must maintain close coordination to ensure full completion of all bridge-related works by July 15.
Project scope and public inconvenience
The BMC is constructing the Sion bridge within railway limits, including the approach road, two pedestrian underpasses (PUPs), and other related works. The closure of the bridge has disrupted daily life, forcing pedestrians and vehicles to take long detours.
To ease inconvenience, a PUP on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg has been completed and opened to the public, while a second PUP on the Dharavi side is under construction.
Chunabhatti station flood-free
Following waterlogging at Chunabhatti Railway Station in 2024 due to heavy rains, the BMC implemented preventive measures, and except for August 19, 2025, no waterlogging was reported during the monsoon season.
Bhide reviewed the works and noted that rainwater from low-lying areas of Highway Society is pumped into the Somaiya nullah, while water from a railway storage tank is discharged into a stormwater drain near the Raheja plot, eventually reaching the Duncan nullah.
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She directed that the system be made more efficient. Railway officials proposed laying a pipeline from the railway tank to pump water into the Somaiya nullah, and she instructed the railway and municipal authorities to jointly assess its feasibility.
Bhide also directed follow-up to obtain permission for laying a stormwater drain through the premises of a Central Ministry of Labour institution near the station.
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