Mumbai News: Vidyavihar ROB Connecting LBS Marg To Chembur Likely To Be Ready By Mid-2026

Mumbai: The long-pending Vidyavihar Road Over Bridge (ROB), aimed at easing east-west connectivity between Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Marg and Ramkrishna Chemburkar Marg in Chembur, is now expected to be completed by April 2026, as per reports. The project, which began in 2016, has encountered repeated delays due to shifting utilities, clearing encroachments and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bridge Work Carried Out After Multiple Delays

Though the ROB was first mentioned in Mumbai’s 1991 Development Plan, the proposal stayed inactive for years until it was revisited and formally included in 2016. Work orders were delayed until 2018 following design modifications recommended by the Railway Ministry’s Research, Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO). Actual construction began a few months later but was paused during the pandemic, stalling momentum once again.

What Are The Available Options To Commute East-West?

At present, commuters from Mumbai’s eastern suburbs must use longer routes via Ghatkopar or Kurla to cross railway tracks, leading to traffic congestion. Once operational, the Vidyavihar ROB, along with other bridges under construction in Ghatkopar, Bhandup and Vikhroli, is expected to offer much-needed relief. Among them, only the Vidyavihar project has a confirmed deadline.

Initially scheduled for completion by December 2024, the project deadline was revised due to logistical challenges. According to officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the project required extensive groundwork including shifting stormwater drains, relocating ticket windows on both sides of the railway tracks, clearing nearly 80 illegal structures, and transplanting trees, tasks that extended the timeline. The quantity of steel required also exceeded initial estimates, further delaying progress.

Features Of The New ROB

Measuring 650 metres in length, the Vidyavihar ROB is set to be one of the city's longest, with each girder weighing around 1,100 metric tonnes. The first girder was positioned in May 2023, followed by the second in November of the same year. Only after this phase was completed did work on the approach roads begin, starting in February 2024, pushing the final handover date to mid-2026.

A BMC official, speaking to Hindustan Times, explained that only after the heavy lifting of girder installation was done could work on adjoining roads begin, making the extension in deadline inevitable.

Currently, construction teams are focused on widening approach routes and finalising surrounding infrastructure. While civic officials are confident that the new bridge will ease traffic, some local residents have expressed concerns about possible bottlenecks being created near the bridge once it opens.

news