Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 22: Mumbai is set to get three major road infrastructure projects, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis scheduled to inaugurate the Sion railway overbridge (ROB), Vidyavihar flyover and Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) connector on Thursday.

The inauguration ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Vidyavihar bridge site at 1 pm, following delays in the completion of the projects.

The three infrastructure projects are expected to improve connectivity across key parts of Mumbai and ease traffic congestion, providing relief to commuters travelling through some of the city’s busiest stretches.

The Vidyavihar flyover is expected to strengthen east-west connectivity and facilitate smoother movement between the eastern and western parts of the suburb. The civic body prepared the plan for the bridge in 2016, and construction began in May 2018. The structure includes a 98-metre-long steel bridge spanning 10 railway lines, making it one of Mumbai’s longest steel road bridges.

The Sion railway overbridge will provide a crucial link between the Eastern Express Highway and the western side of the city, improving connectivity across the railway tracks.

Its 110-year-old predecessor, which connected the Eastern Express Highway with LBS Road and Dharavi Road, was declared structurally unsafe. An IIT audit report had flagged its deteriorating condition in 2020, warning that its age and condition posed a risk above active railway lines. The bridge was subsequently closed and demolished, with reconstruction beginning in August 2024.

The GMLR connector will link Dindoshi Court to Film City, improving connectivity in the western suburbs and offering motorists a more convenient route through the area. Construction of the project began in 2022.

The opening of the three projects is expected to strengthen Mumbai’s road network and improve traffic movement between different parts of the city.