Mumbai’s 125-year-old Elphinstone Bridge will be demolished starting September 10, marking a significant step in the city’s infrastructure overhaul. The move paves the way for a new double-decker corridor under the Sewri-Worli Elevated Road project, which aims to provide seamless, signal-free access to the Atal Setu Trans Harbour Link.

The bridge will be shut to traffic on the night of September 10, with demolition work starting immediately after. Authorities chose the date carefully, scheduling it after Anant Chaturdashi, the final day of Ganesh idol immersions, to avoid disrupting festival processions. While officials insist the structure is in a severely dilapidated state and poses safety risks, residents of adjacent buildings remain anxious about their rehabilitation, cautioning that protests could follow if housing assurances are not fulfilled.

The project has already seen multiple setbacks, from design changes and delays in resettlement to repeated resident protests, that have pushed deadlines back for months. Once complete, however, the new double-decker connector is expected to significantly ease congestion at Prabhadevi and Parel, a transit hub that handles nearly 700,000 commuters daily.

Built in 1899 during the British era, the Elphinstone Bridge has long been a lifeline for central Mumbai, linking Parel and Prabhadevi with key railway stations, offices, and hospitals. For over a century, it stood as both a vital connector and a colonial relic.

Its demolition will mark the end of an era closing a 125-year chapter in the city’s history, even as Mumbai moves toward safer, future-ready infrastructure.