Byculla Cable-Stayed Bridge Now 72 per cent Complete

23 Oct 2025 CW Team

Work on the cable-stayed Byculla East–West Connector — one of Mumbai’s key infrastructure projects — has reached 72 per cent completion, according to officials. Initially scheduled for completion in October 2023, the project deadline was first extended to July 2024, then October 2025, and has now been postponed once more to May 2026.

The delays have been attributed to difficulties in relocating underground utilities and clearing encroachments along the construction route.

The project involves the reconstruction of the 103-year-old Y-shaped bridge in Byculla, originally built in 1922 and spanning the Sandhurst Road and Byculla railway stations. A structural audit by IIT Bombay, conducted after the Gokhale Bridge collapse in 2018, declared the structure unsafe and dilapidated, prompting its redevelopment.

The reconstruction is being executed by the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC) in collaboration with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The new 916-metre-long bridge, including approach roads, will feature an eight-lane carriageway (upgraded from six lanes) and rise to a height of 9.7 metres. The project cost is estimated at Rs 2.87 billion.

To minimise traffic disruptions, work has been undertaken in phases since December 2021. New parallel bridges are currently under construction, after which traffic will be diverted to the new lanes. Once the diversion is complete, a span of the old bridge will be dismantled and integrated into the new cable-stayed structure.

In addition to improved traffic capacity, the bridge will feature a selfie point offering panoramic views of the Mumbai skyline. A senior civic official confirmed that under the revised timeline, the project is expected to be fully operational by May 2026.

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