A new cable-stayed Belasis Bridge is set to become operational in November to facilitate vehicular movement between Nagpada and Tardeo in south Mumbai. What is the plan? Belasis Bridge is one of the oldest east-west bridges in the city and is located in a congested area in south Mumbai. One of the key road over bridges (ROB) in south Mumbai, the old bridge was built in 1893. The earlier structure was a conventional ROB that was found to be structurally unstable in 2018. Following this, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation mooted the proposal to demolish the bridge, and this was done in June last year. Once the new bridge becomes operational, it will ease traffic movement in areas like Tardeo, Mahalaxmi and Byculla, allowing seamless vehicular movement. The travel time between Nagpada and Tardeo will also come down to 5-7 minutes, which otherwise takes more than 20 minutes during peak hours. Features and current status The new bridge will be cable-stayed with six vehicular lanes – three times more than the existing structure – to allow more vehicles to pass at a given time. Underneath the bridge, an additional underpass will be built to facilitate citizens’ movement. At present, construction work on the new bridge is underway, and civic authorities said that civil works have reached the halfway mark. Cost and timeline The overall cost of the bridge has been pegged at Rs 110 crore, with the BMC paying Rs 70 crore, while the balance Rs 40 crore is being paid by the railways. The BMC has completed more than 65 per cent of the foundation work and is expecting to open the structure by the end of this year. Administration speaks “The primary reason why we are opting for cable-stayed bridges is to ensure that the project is completed at the earliest. The earlier deadline for this bridge was set in June 2026, however, at the start of this year, this target was preponed to November 2025, and we are eyeing to meet the target,” Abhijit Bangar, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects), said.
