Mumbai: Elphinstone bridge reopening delayed to Jan-Feb 2027

Mumbai’s replacement Elphinstone bridge is unlikely to open to traffic before January or February 2027, with the railway portion of the project now targeted for completion by November, according to a report by The Indian Express.

The development comes nearly a year after the 112-year-old Elphinstone bridge was shut. A major construction challenge now facing the project is the installation of four steel spans across the railway tracks.

The launching work will require at least 39 railway blocks spread over 25 days. Of these, 32 blocks will be used for launching the spans while seven will be required for preparatory work.

MahaRail, which is handling the railway component, is assembling the spans at the site and hopes to begin launching them by the end of September, subject to the rains.

All four spans arrived in Mumbai on August 15. They comprise two 92.5-metre structures and two 34.5-metre structures.

The longer spans will carry the two carriageways over the railway tracks at Prabhadevi and Parel. The shorter spans will provide space for future railway lines.

Most of the railway blocks are expected to be night-time corridor blocks, giving construction teams about 2.5 hours between the last and first trains.

“The launching plan has been submitted to Central and Western Railway and is awaiting approvals,” officials said.

MahaRail has set November as the deadline for completing its portion. After that, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will take up the approach roads and connect the railway and non-railway portions, with that work expected to continue until January or February.

A MahaRail official said, “Even if for whatever reason, due to the rains or later trains due to the festival season, we get shorter railway blocks, we will continue the work so that there is some progress.”

The reconstructed structure will carry local traffic on its lower deck, while the upper deck will form part of the 4.5-km Sewri-Worli connector linking the Worli end of the Coastal Road with the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link.