Mumbai, February 23: The iconic Sion Road over the bridge (ROB) will be closed forever starting Thursday, February 29. The 112-year-old road over bridge (ROB) in Sion will be shut permanently to make way for a new bridge. It must be noted that the Sion ROB is a British-era bridge that connects Bandra Kurla Complex, Dharavi, Sion and Kurla. Earlier, the bridge was shut on January 19.

However, the deadline to shut the Sion ROB permanently was extended following MP Rahul Shewale's intervention, reports Hindustan Times. On Thursday, February 22, Central Railway (CR) officials said that commuters will not be allowed on the bridge from February 29. Ashwini Vaishnaw Inspects Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project, Accuses Previous Maharashtra Govt of Delay in Permissions.

Officials also said once the clearing of cables and other works are completed, the dates to implement a mega block for demolishing the ROB will be decided. As per the report, the Sion ROB is being demolished as it has deteriorated. The bridge is also being demolished as its span needs to be increased from 30 metres to 49 metres to accommodate the fifth and sixth lines between Parel and Kurla.

Sources close to the development said that demolition of the ROB would take around 4-6 months. On the other hand, the new bridge is expected to be constructed in 18-24 months. The closure of the Sion ROB is likely to lead to traffic snarls on other east-west connectors in the city, especially on the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, which links Sion with Dharavi. Mumbai Shocker: Three Nurses Tape Baby’s Mouth to Prevent It From Crying at BMC Hospital, Booked.

Meanwhile, the traffic police have proposed to make these roads no-parking zones in a bid to ease the congestion.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 23, 2024 03:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).