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After a 2.5-year closure, Mumbai's historic Carnac Bridge near Masjid Bunder will reopen on June 7, 2025. The INR 41.3 crore reconstruction replaces the 1866 British-era structure and aims to decongest key trading routes linking Crawford Market, P D'Mello Road, and CST. The new 70m steel girder bridge was installed in January 2025 during carefully timed railway blocks. Final touches, including road surfacing and safety fittings, are underway. Originally shut in 2022 due to safety concerns flagged in 2018, the revamped bridge is expected to restore crucial connectivity for traders and commuters and ease pressure on detour-heavy routes like Kalbadevi and Princess Street.
Mumbai's long traffic nightmare near Masjid Bunder is about to ease, with the iconic Carnac Bridge set to reopen on June 7, 2025, after an intense 2.5-year reconstruction effort. The bridge, which connects South Mumbai's busy business hubs like Crawford Market to P D'Mello Road, was closed in November 2022 after a structural audit deemed it unsafe. Originally constructed in 1866, the British-era bridge had served the city for over 150 years. Advertisement
The reconstruction was launched at a cost of INR 41.3 crore, and comes as part of Mumbai's broader efforts to upgrade ageing infrastructure. The BMC, along with Central Railway and guidance from RITES Ltd, led the replacement drive which included building a 70-metre-long and 26.5-metre-wide steel girder structure over the bustling rail corridor near Masjid station.
The critical girder launching phase was completed in stages between January 10 and January 31, 2025, with the massive girders carefully slid into place during brief railway blocks. The process saw a 550-tonne girder mounted across key railway lines, including both north and southbound tracks.
Final work is currently underway and includes several key activities. These involve piling and foundation laying for the approach roads on both the eastern and western ends. Additionally, concrete surfacing is being completed on the approach roads. The installation of safety features such as anti-crash barriers, street poles, and electric fittings is also in progress. Finally, load testing is being conducted to certify the bridge for safe traffic use.
With the reopening, thousands of vehicles will be able to resume their original routes-especially traders, market vendors and transporters who had to take long detours via Kalbadevi or Princess Street to reach Crawford Market.
The bridge's closure was originally triggered by a 2018 report from Central Railway and IIT Bombay, flagging serious structural concerns. Tenders for its replacement were floated as far back as November 2015, and while the High Court gave final clearance in 2019, political and logistical delays pushed the actual demolition to late 2022.
Infrastructure experts say the Carnac Bridge is a critical link in Mumbai's old trading zones and a lifeline for logistics near the Eastern Freeway. The reopening is expected to decongest P D'Mello Road, Crawford Market, and link better with CST and Fort, particularly benefiting small business operators and daily commuters.
As Mumbai continues to modernize its 100+ year-old infrastructure, bridges like Carnac play a vital role in balancing heritage preservation with urban mobility. This project also demonstrates the challenges of executing infrastructure upgrades in hyper-dense urban cores.
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