Despite reconstruction, Tilak Bridge carries increased traffic

Hindustan Times

15-05-2025

MUMBAI: As a state-of-the-art, cable-stayed bridge rises in the atmospheric heart of Dadar, the past is conceding ground to the future and worlds are colliding in curious ways. This is the remarkable story of the century-old Tilak Bridge, a war-horse built by the colonial British over the railway tracks in Mumbai.
A crucial east-west connector whose importance will increase manifold once the Elphinstone Bridge shuts for reconstruction, Tilak Bridge is an icon of this city.
Declared dilapidated during a structural audit in 2019, the bridge was added to the list of old rail-over-bridges (ROBs) built by the British to be reconstructed. But with another important east-west connector, Delisle Bridge under construction then, work on Tilak Bridge didn't take off until much later.
Given the massive traffic volumes Tilak Bridge handles, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) opted for phased reconstruction. In Phase 1, which is currently underway, a bridge parallel to the existing one is being built. As soon as it's opened to traffic, Phase 2 will begin, where the old bridge will be demolished and replaced with a new one. The project is being be executed by MahaRail, or the Maharashtra Rail infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC).
Work got off the ground in 2022, when MRIDC completed the geotechnical work and pile testing. But the pace was sluggish. 'While we started work in 2023, there was a lot of underground preparatory work to be done with the shifting of utilities,' said an official with MRIDC. 'Actual civil work started in January 2024. Currently, the piers are being constructed.'
The bridge will be a twin, cable-stayed bridge, its cables soaring 190 metres, to minimise piling on the railway tracks and road below. Concerns have been raised about the increased height of the bridge to meet new Indian Roads Congress (IRC) guidelines, but MRIDC said the approach roads will have sufficient elevation, to make them match.
Another concern arose when one of the piers, or massive columns, was built just inches from an old building, Vishnu Niwas. However, an official said the bridge was designed keeping in mind the building's redevelopment plans, under which the new structure would be set back from the old building's location.
To take on increasing volumes of traffic, the new Tilak Bridge will have three lanes in each direction, as opposed to the current 2+2 format.
'The Dadar Tilak Bridge is a nightmare for thousands of daily commuters. What was meant to streamline movement is now a chaotic stretch plagued by encroachments, congestion and civic neglect,' said Chetan Kamble, a Dadar resident and founder of the NGO, Chakachak Dadar. 'On the west side, near Plaza cinema, the bridge is completely taken over by illegal wholesale vegetable vendors, leaving no space for pedestrians. Early mornings are particularly chaotic. Taxis and tempos line up in long queues to load vegetables, creating massive bottlenecks. With footpaths blocked, people are forced to dangerously navigate the edge of moving traffic, risking accidents every day.' Kamble also raised the issue of squatters on and around the bridge, suspecting they will claim rehabilitation.
With Phase 1 temporarily squeezing two-way traffic into the span of three lanes, until the second arm is completed, motorists are in for a hard time. Worse, traffic on the bridge is bound to increase, as construction work on the Sion Bridge has diverted motorists to Tilak Bridge.
'With Elphinstone (Prabhadevi) Bridge scheduled to shut for a two-year reconstruction period, all traffic will funnel through the already overburdened Tilak Bridge. I suspect commutes will increase by at least 30 minutes, with an additional burden on public transport buses.' said Kamble.
Phase 1 is riding on a deadline of April 2026. Only then will the old bridge be demolished and Phase 2 begin. This will take a minimum 18 months.