Vidyavihar Road Over Bridge Update: 10-Year Wait, 2 More To Go; New Completion Date Announced

The Vidyavihar Road Over Bridge (ROB), which will connect Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Marg to Ramkrishna Chemburkar Marg, is now expected to be completed by April 2026, according to a Hindustan Times (HT) report. The project has been delayed several times due to various issues such as shifting storm water drains, clearing encroachments, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally proposed in the 1991 Development Plan, the ROB remained on paper for over 25 years before actual planning began in 2016. However, the railway ministry's Research, Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) suggested design changes, which delayed the start of construction further. Work orders were finally issued in 2018, and construction began a few months later, only to be stalled again due to the pandemic.

Currently, motorists from the eastern suburbs have to take long detours through either Ghatkopar or Kurla to cross the railway tracks. While ROBS at Vikhroli, Bhandup, and Ghatkopar are also under construction, none of them have clear timelines for completion. The Vidyavihar ROB was initially set to be ready by December 2024, but this has now been pushed to April 2026.

According to a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official, delays were caused by several factors. "We had to realign storm water drains, remove around 80 encroachments, shift railway ticket counters, and even transplant or cut down trees to make way for the bridge," he said, as per the HT report. In addition, the increase in the quantity of steel required also contributed to the delay.

The bridge will be one of the longest in Mumbai at 650 metres. Each girder weighs nearly 1,100 metric tonnes. The first girder was placed in May 2023, and the second in November 2023. Only after these were installed did the BMC begin work on the approach roads in February 2024, causing further delays.

Currently, workers are busy expanding approach roads and nearby lanes. While authorities believe the ROB will eventually help reduce traffic congestion, some residents worry that the new bridge might actually cause more traffic jams and choke points in the area.