Elphinstone ROB closure on hold again

The closure of the 125-year-old Elphinstone railway over-bridge (ROB) for demolition and reconstruction has been put on hold for at least a week after the Mumbai traffic police received 417 objections and suggestions from citizens regarding the proposed action.

- Megha Sood

MUMBAI:

According to traffic police officers, several citizens have objected to the closure of the vital east-west connector in central Mumbai because a few roads near it have already been dug up for infrastructure work. "There is work going on at a few roads surrounding the Elphinstone bridge, including the Senapati Bapat Marg and Ganpat Kadam Marg," said Anil Kumbhare, joint commissioner of police (traffic).

The traffic police have sent objections to the concerned departments and asked them to finish the road work within eight to 10 days, Kumbhare said. The bridge won't be closed until the work on alternate routes is complete, he added.

One such objection was sent by Narendra Shah, 60, a businessman who has lived in the Zaveri Building in Parel East his entire life. He emailed the traffic police on Saturday, saying it would become extremely difficult for residents to commute and do business if the bridge was closed.