Mumbai: Elphinstone Bridge closure soon, but key foot-bridge still incomplete

Elphinstone Bridge is soon set to be demolished

All traffic plans are in place for motorists ahead of the Elphinstone Bridge closure - but what about pedestrians? A crucial foot overbridge (FOB), meant to connect Parel (Central Railway) and Prabhadevi (Western Railway), has been left incomplete by Central Railway (CR). It ends abruptly mid-air, leaving commuters stranded with no direct east-west crossing as the road bridge is set to shut.

With the road bridge closing, this incomplete foot overbridge remains suspended mid-air. Pics/Ashish Raje

Prabhadevi station (formerly Elphinstone) had earned the grim moniker of "stampede station" after 23 people died in a 2017 crowd crush at the base of a FOB. The new bridge, built parallel to the road overbridge on the north end, was meant to ease pedestrian movement. While Western Railway's (WR) portion is complete, the CR side remains unfinished, forcing pedestrians to take a long detour via station FOBs at the north end.

The half-finished bridge begins at Prabhadevi, crosses all five WR tracks, and then abruptly ends in airspace above the Parel railway colony. The proposed landing area has been encroached on by slums within the railway premises. Once the road bridge is closed, all pedestrian traffic will be diverted to crowded railway FOBs. The only bridge directly parallel to the Elphinstone Road bridge - this incomplete one - could have offered major relief. Instead, WR has barricaded access due to safety concerns.

The unfinished Prabhadevi-Parel foot overbridge, built alongside the road bridge, ends abruptly. Pic/Ashish Raje

When mid-day visited the CR side near the Basic Training Centre in the Parel railway colony, the landing site was found overrun by slums with power connections, TV sets, and multiple LPG cylinders. No work was underway. A CR spokesperson said, "The columns have been erected at the Parel end. Work was delayed due to encroachments, which are now cleared. The bridge will be completed soon."

‘Bridge closure will cause chaos'

Devendra Damodar Tandel, commuter
"It's unfortunate the bridge is incomplete. Like Dadar's east-west FOB, this one should've been done too. The Elphinstone bridge closure will cause chaos." He also plans to file grievances with the traffic police.

B Deo, commuter
"It's shocking how a railway colony is so encroached. Parel was once a high-profile colony - this decline is disturbing,"