Mumbai: The Elphinstone Bridge, a crucial connector between Parel and Prabhadevi in central Mumbai, will be closed from Friday midnight (12 am on Saturday) to facilitate its demolition and make way for the upcoming Sewri-Worli Elevated Connector.

The Mumbai Traffic Police, in a notification issued Thursday evening, outlined several traffic diversions and restrictions to manage congestion during the demolition. Vehicles moving from east to west around Dadar will need to use the Tilak Bridge, while alternatives like the Curry Road Bridge and the Chinchpokli Bridge have been designated for traffic from Parel, Byculla, Prabhadevi, and Worli.

There will be traffic restrictions on the Curry Road railway bridge, said a police officer. "The bridge will be one-way from Bharatmata Junction to Shingte Master Chowk from 7 am to 3 pm and, later, vice versa till 11 pm. Late in the night, it will be open both ways," said the officer.

The closure of the bridge is expected to significantly impact road traffic, especially in the congested Parel area. It passes over two railway stations, Prabhadevi and Parel, on two different railway lines, used by 500,000-700,000 commuters daily. The bridge is surrounded by several buildings, some decades old and others housing some of Mumbai's swankiest offices. Not far from the bridge are residential areas and schools, as well as prominent hospitals like the Tata Memorial Hospital and KEM Hospital, which are frequented by tens of thousands of people daily.

As HT previously reported, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is constructing the Sewri-Worli connector, initially planned to commence the demolition work by the end of February. However, the bridge's closure was repeatedly postponed for various reasons, including class 10 and 12 board exams, a delay in getting the required clearances from multiple government agencies, and, more recently, objections from residents of 19 buildings flanking the bridge, who demanded a fair rehabilitation scheme.

Following several discussions between the affected residents and the MMRDA, including one on Thursday at the Bhoiwada police station, the development authority said it has revised the project route to ensure the demolition of the bridge affects only two of the 19 buildings.

The office of deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, who is also the MMRDA chairman, announced on Thursday evening that 83 affected families from the two affected buildings -- Haji Noorani Chawl and Lakshmi Nivas Chawl -- will be relocated to Mhada flats in the same locality.

"The Elphinstone Bridge will be demolished for the construction of the Sewri-Worli Elevated Connector. Earlier, a total of 19 buildings were to be affected for this project, but MMRDA made structural changes to ensure that 17 buildings would not be affected by the project route and changed the route, which not only facilitated the rehabilitation of the residents but also saved an estimated ₹5,200 crore on rehabilitation. Also, this decision will speed up the project and enable it to be completed on time," read a press statement released by Shinde's office.

The rehabilitation criteria will be that homeowners with less than 300 sqft area will be given homes with 35% additional area, which means a total area of 405 sqft. Homeowners with an area in the range of 300-1,292 sqft will get new houses based on their existing carpet area and an additional 35% area, the statement added.

However, despite the new rehabilitation plans, tensions remain high. Many of the 50 residents who attended Thursday's meeting with MMRDA walked away frustrated, saying earlier promises -- such as cluster redevelopment for all 19 buildings -- remain unfulfilled.

Residents of the 17 other buildings said they face threats, too. Some of these buildings are over 100 years old, making the residents worry about their structural stability. The new bridge would also be very close to the buildings, hampering their redevelopment potential, they said.

Sarika Kadam, a resident of Baug-e-Kausar, said, "All the attention right now is on the two buildings where the pillars are going to come. But our buildings, too, will be affected. If they demand that we move out immediately, what will we do? We will not leave without written assurance."

Shops along the stretch are also bracing for a drop in footfall, with several business owners requesting compensation or assistance in relocation. Sriram Pawar, a shopkeeper and resident of Samarth Niwas, criticised the MMRDA, saying, "They want to meet deadlines, but we've been waiting years. Not one thing in writing. We won't allow demolition without clear agreements."

However, Munaf Thakur from Haji Noorani Chawl remains hopeful. "MMRDA has hinted at Mhada homes within our neighbourhood. If that's true, it's a step forward," he said, adding that a follow-up meeting with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is being arranged by local MLA Kalidas Kolambhkar.