For motorists negotiating Mahalaxmi’s congested roads, a long-awaited missing link could be in place by the end of this year. The BMC has completed the 78.5-metre pylon of its new cable-stayed bridge, which will connect Mahalaxmi ground directly with Saat Rasta and provide an alternative to the existing Mahalaxmi railway overbridge.

The civic body is now pushing to complete the remaining work and open the four-lane bridge to traffic by December 31, 2026.

About the project

After a structural audit of old bridges across the city, the BMC’s standing committee cleared proposals for a new bridge in Mahalaxmi. The upcoming bridge will replace an older east-west structure that passes over the railway tracks of the Mahalaxmi railway station.

The upcoming bridge will replace an older east-west structure which passes over the railway tracks of the Mahalaxmi railway station. (Source: BMC/Express Photo)

The bridge will commence from the Keshavrao Khadye Marg near the racecourse in the west, surpass the western railway tracks and land near Shirin Talkies along Keshavrao Khadye Marg in the east.

Upon completion, the bridge will link the congested Saat Rasta with the Mahalaxmi ground while decongesting the existing Mahalaxmi station rail-over-bridge. Eventually, the bridge will also serve as a key route for commuters traversing from the suburbs onto the coastal road.

Project details

Total length – 803 metres

Of this,

Cable-stay portion – 165 metres

Back span portion length – 85 metres

Total width – 17.2 metres

Total width over railway portion – 23 metres

Total lanes – 4

Deadline – December 31, 2026

What does the administration say?

A BMC officer said, “We have erected the 78.5-metre pylon of the bridge as well as completed construction of the span on the western side of the pylon. We are now awaiting permission for a railway block to construct the 165-metre span on the eastern side.”

“We are working steadily to open the bridge by December 31 this year. The bridge will be opened in coordination with the traffic department,” he said.