Belasis Bridge set to open, may be first project inaugurated by new Mumbai mayor

Civic officials stated that the construction of Belasis Bridge was completed on January 6, and since then, ancillary work like painting of road signage and dividers, and installation of signals and lights has been underway. At present, the BMC has initiated its application to obtain no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the railways and the traffic department in Mumbai.

“Since the bridge will pass above railway tracks, we will require NOCs from both these agencies. It will take a week for the NOCs to come through, following which the bridge will be opened for public transportation,” an official told The Indian Express.

In many cases, the traffic department provides input on restructuring some aspect of a bridge before giving its NOC. For example, when the BMC opened Carnac Bridge last year, the traffic department pointed out that a certain portion of the road would need resurfacing. The BMC subsequently initiated the work.

Officials said that if such suggestions are made, it may push the inaugural process by a week.

New mayor by January end

With the BMC election results being declared last week, the state government is set to hold a lottery to decide the reservation category for the mayoral seat of 29 municipal corporations in the state, including Mumbai. Following this, the mayor will be elected on January 31.

“Even though the timeline of the mayor taking over office coincides with the completion of all the procedural work for opening the bridge, it is not a deliberate move or attempt. If the NOC comes through at the end of next week, the bridge could be opened by the mayor. However, the election is a judicial process, and in case there is any delay, no attempts will be made to stall the opening of the bridge since it will inconvenience people,” the official added.

A century-old bridge reconstructed

Built at a cost of Rs 110 crore, Belasis Bridge connects traffic movement between Nagpada and Tardeo and is a railway overbridge (ROB) that passes above railway tracks. However, a structural audit report in 2018 found that the bridge had outlived its intended lifespan. Following this, the BMC decided to construct a new bridge by pulling down the old structure.

The old structure was demolished in June 2024, after which construction of the new bridge began. Since the bridge will span over railway tracks, the BMC chose to build a cable-stayed bridge to minimise the piling work.

The new bridge is also cable-stayed and constructed with steel, while the foundation is concrete. The main carriageway of the bridge spans 380 metres in width and features four vehicular lanes to improve traffic flow.