Bridge of time

A century-old link that carried the city across is now closed for public

- Minal Sancheti

The Elphinstone Road Bridge has served as a connector for Mumbai, then Bombay, since 1913. It has eased the traffic and facilitated commuters by connecting Prabhadevi and Parel. Today, we recognise the erstwhile basalt stone-built bridge that stood the test of time.

Bridges have played an important role in the urban development of the city. R Venkatesh, an urban researcher, says, “The historic century-old bridges over Mumbai's railway lines—like the Parel Elphinstone Road Bridge, Currey Road, Ollivant Bridge, S-bridge Byculla, Tilak Bridge, Sion Bridge are very important as they are east-west connectors crucial for the city to sustain. The city still craves more east-west connectors. Bridges were integral to the spatial development and infrastructure of “urbs prima in Indis” (Latin phrase, the old BMC motto indicating the primacy of the city in all of India), given its industrial development, port operations, and opportunities for wealth creation.”