Commuters in Mumbai faced severe traffic jams on Saturday following the closure of the over 100-year-old Elphinstone Road Over Bridge (ROB) on Friday night. The shutdown caused major disruption across central Mumbai, with netizens taking to X to vent their frustration. Here’s what’s happening.
Elphinstone Bridge Closure Trigger Chaos In Central Mumbai
The Elphinstone Bridge in central Mumbai was demolished on Friday night under tight police security. The closure of this century-old bridge unleashed chaos in the city, with commuters stuck in long traffic snarls. This Road Over Bridge was a crucial east-west link in central Mumbai, connecting Parel and Prabhadevi. As per a report by NDTV, authorities have started reconstruction work, which began on Friday, September 12, and is expected to continue for 60 days. X user @mumbaimatterz shared some images on their account showing the traffic situation.
The closure of the bridge is part of the Sewri-Worli elevated connector project. It aims to replace the critical east-west link that passes over two railway stations. Around 5-7 lakh commuters use it daily. Meanwhile, many netizens expressed anger on social media, blaming poor planning and mismanagement for the chaos on the first day.
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Police Struggle To Manage Traffic
According to the same report, chaos also erupted on alternate routes and diversions set up by the Mumbai Traffic Police. Severe snarls began around 10:30 AM as commuters got stuck on these stretches. Joint Commissioner of Traffic Police Anil Kumbhare told Hindustan Times that 100 traffic wardens were deployed in three shifts to manage diversions. Besides them, 50 extra police personnel and 25 Maharashtra Security Force officers were on duty.
Heavy vehicles were rerouted through Dadar’s Tilak Bridge. Traffic also stretched up to Maheshwari Udyan in Matunga and Dharavi in Mumbai. Commuters complained about the thin presence of traffic personnel and poor coordination. Vehicles parked haphazardly worsened the congestion. Moreover, key routes such as Gokhale Road and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road also became unusable. One commuter told HT that bikers “zig-zagged” through traffic, making it impossible for four-wheelers to move on the already cramped roads.
Authorities are demolishing the bridge to make way for a double-decker structure. The first level will replace the Elphinstone Bridge, offering four lanes (two in each direction) to connect Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road and Senapati Bapat Road. The second level will also have four lanes, linking Atal Setu and the Coastal Road.
With chaos already breaking out on day one, authorities will need to plan new strategies to manage traffic in Central Mumbai.
Cover Image Courtesy: X/@mumbaimatterz
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