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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

MRIDC speeds up Elphinstone ROB, completion in Sep

Mumbai: Come Ganeshotsav, Mumbai is poised to get an eye-catching landmark – the ambitious Elphinstone Double-Decker Road Overbridge, being fast-tracked to provide a key link to the Sewri-Worli Elevated Corridor and Atal Setu, officials said. The double-decker ROB, will dramatically arise by Sep. 2026 from the ashes of the 112-year-old British-era Elphinstone Bridge that is being demolished since Oct. 225 after it outlived its utility. The swank double-decker coming up in its place will be a...

MRIDC speeds up Elphinstone ROB, completion in Sep

Mumbai: Come Ganeshotsav, Mumbai is poised to get an eye-catching landmark – the ambitious Elphinstone Double-Decker Road Overbridge, being fast-tracked to provide a key link to the Sewri-Worli Elevated Corridor and Atal Setu, officials said. The double-decker ROB, will dramatically arise by Sep. 2026 from the ashes of the 112-year-old British-era Elphinstone Bridge that is being demolished since Oct. 225 after it outlived its utility. The swank double-decker coming up in its place will be a decisive leap in urban mobility for the country’s commercial capital, with hopes to unclog it's perpetually-jammed arterial routes while seamlessly connecting Mumbai to expanding eastern waterfront besides residential and commercial complexes in the region. Being built by the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSRIDC) Ltd. at a cost of a little over Rs. 167-cr, hectic work is on to demolish the old bridge, built in 1913 that connected Prabhadevi-Parel. Giant cranes at work The precision engineering of the work involves two gigantic 800-tonne cranes which are deployed to lift and remove the massive sections of the old razed structure. This challenging yet delicate operation is being carried on live railway lines without disrupting the Mumbai lifelines of the Central Railway and Western Railway corridors, thanks to meticulous planning and coordination, said an official. The new double-decker ROB will not merely replace the old bridge, but is set to redefine connectivity in the region. Spanning 132 metres across the two busy railway lines, described as a ‘rare and technically complex achievement in a dense urban terrain’ like south Mumbai. The bridge’s twin-level configuration is custom-engineered for efficiency for both commuters and pedestrians and traffic movement. To boost people-traffic pace The lower deck will have a 2+2 lanes plus a footpath, to ensure continued east-west access for the local commuters or pedestrians, while the 2+2 lanes upper deck minus the public walkway, would provide a crucial artery of the Sewri-Worli Elevated Corridor, affording a swift, signal-free link to the iconic Mumbai Trans Harbour Link and onwards. This would enable a much faster access to Navi Mumbai and beyond, reduced vehicular congestion at various points while opening up a new spine of regional connectivity and growth. The double-decker bridge is engineered with a robust ‘Open Web Girder’ superstructure - a design suited to heavy railway crossings – with an eye on long-term durability and future capacity. “It reflects a broader shift in infrastructure thinking: building upward where horizontal expansion is no longer feasible,” said an official. Game-changer for Mumbai traffic He said that the Sewri-Worli Elevated Corridor itself is itself envisioned as a game-changer for Mumbai’s east-west mobility, easing pressure on overburdened roads and integrating with larger transport networks that are reshaping the city and the bustling Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). “With a seamless link to the MTHL (Atal Setu), the corridor will boost the city’s strategic push towards decongestion, economic expansion and overall development of the surroundings,” said the official, as the project races to catch the Sep. 2026 deadline. A joint-venture of Maharashtra government and the Ministry of Railways, MahaRail is entrusted with accelerating rail and road infrastructure in the state, eliminate level-crossings to enhance safety, streamline rail-and-road traffic, and is executing several new railway lines, ROBs, RUBs, subways and flyovers.

Omar welcomes Indus Water Treaty suspension, calls it “most unfair document” for J&K



SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday welcomed the Central government’s decision to suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan following the deadly Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 lives. He also referred to the treaty as the “most unfair document” for the people of J&K.


“The Government of India has taken some steps. As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, let’s be honest. We have never been in favour of the Indus Waters Treaty. We have always believed it to be the most unfair document to people of J&K,” Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar after meeting representatives from the tourism, trade, and industry sectors. However, he noted that the long-term impact of this move is still uncertain.


The IWT suspension is part of India’s response to the brutal attack. Other actions include expelling Pakistani military attaches and shutting down the Attari land-transit point immediately.


When questioned about the impact of the April 22 attack on the region’s tourism industry, Abdullah dismissed concerns about monetary losses. “At this juncture, we are not counting rupees or paisa. Not one of the businessmen or stakeholders in the tourism industry who attended the meeting lamented the loss of business. Not one of them expressed any concern about what would happen to them.”


“Right now, our priority is to express solidarity with the bereaved,” he said, adding, “At some point in future, we may sit down to discuss the financial implications (of the attack) on J&K’s economy. But not a single stakeholder present in the meeting raised a demand for monetary relief for the losses they are suffering.”


Omar described the tourist exodus from J&K after the massacre as “heartbreaking”. The future of the Valley’s tourism sector remains uncertain, with widespread trip cancellations following the attack.

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