The newly constructed Carnac Bridge in Mumbai, now officially renamed as Sindoor Bridge, was inaugurated on July 10, 2025, by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The decision to rename the bridge was linked to “Operation Sindoor,” a symbolic initiative aimed at erasing the colonial legacy associated with the original name.

During the inauguration, Chief Minister Fadnavis explained that the renaming sought to wipe away a dark chapter of Indian history linked to British rule. He referred to historical accounts written by Prabodhankar Thackeray, which alleged that British Governor Carnac had orchestrated conspiracies and committed atrocities against Indians, particularly in the Satara region. According to Thackeray’s writings, Carnac had plotted against figures like Pratap Singh Raje Chhatrapati and Rango Bapu.

The original Carnac Bridge, built in 1868 and named after James Rivett-Carnac, the Governor of Bombay from 1839 to 1841, had long served as a crucial link between South Mumbai’s Masjid area and P D Mello Road. The old structure was demolished in 2022 after a structural audit deemed it unsafe. The newly built bridge, spanning 328 metres and featuring four vehicular lanes—double the previous capacity—was completed on June 13, 2025.

Despite its completion, the bridge remained closed to the public until July 10 due to delays in obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC) from Central Railway and the installation of signage. The delay had sparked protests from Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on July 2.

The Sindoor Bridge now reconnects key parts of South Mumbai, including the port area, Crawford Market, Kalbadevi, and Dhobi Talao, and is expected to ease traffic congestion significantly in the region.

News source: The Hindu