Changing City: No more Mahalaxmi traffic detour New bridge set to cut commute by December

Mahalaxmi motorists will soon be spared the daily traffic detour as a new cable-stayed bridge nears completion. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finished the 78.5-metre pylon, linking Mahalaxmi ground to Saat Rasta and providing an alternative to the existing railway overbridge. The civic body aims to open the four-lane bridge to traffic by December 31, 2026.

After a structural audit of old city bridges, the BMC's standing committee approved the new bridge's proposal. The bridge will replace the older east-west structure passing over the Mahalaxmi railway station's tracks. Starting from Keshavrao Khadye Marg near the racecourse on the west, the bridge will traverse the western railway tracks before landing near Shirin Talkies on Keshavrao Khadye Marg on the east.

Upon completion, the bridge will link congested Saat Rasta with Mahalaxmi ground, alleviating traffic on the existing railway overbridge. It will also serve as a crucial route for commuters traveling from suburbs to the coastal road. The bridge's total length is 803 metres, with a cable-stay portion of 165 metres and a back span portion of 85 metres. The total width measures 17.2 metres, increasing to 23 metres over the railway portion. It will have four lanes.