Due to difficulty in obtaining railway blocks, the dismantling took a month longer than scheduled, by April. (file)Commuters expecting the east-west Sewri Worli connector and reconstructed Elphinstone bridge by September will have to wait till early 2027.The crucial east-west connector, the Sewri Worli connector and the reconstructed Elphinstone bridge in Prabhadevi, will miss its September deadline. The highly ambitious deadline of a year from the date of demolition will stretch into early 2027. Between a delayed dismantling of the old bridge, unexpected civic utility-related work, resident complaints, a manpower crunch and now the rains, the project isn’t expected to wrap up till January or February of 2027.The 112-year-old Elphinstone bridge, going over the railway tracks of Prabhadevi station, was shut to traffic on September 12, 2025, to be replaced with a double-decker bridge. The lower deck is to be the replacement of the Elphinstone bridge, while the top deck will be a part of the 4.5 km Sewri Worli Connector, connecting Mumbai’s western coast to the east and the Atal Setu.After it was shut, the immediate challenge was the demolition of the stone bridge and dismantling of the railway portions. Due to difficulty in obtaining railway blocks, the dismantling took a month longer than scheduled, by April.“Preparation is on for the assembly and launching of the bridge’s girder over the railway tracks,” said officials from MRIDC. Pointing at the temporary structures placed at either ends of the tracks, the official said, “These are temporary structures which will allow us to slide the girder into place. But before that happens, the girder – 132 meters in length – will need to be assembled at site. Parts of the girder were pre-fabricated in Noida and have been shipped, and are waiting at Chembur currently. They’ll soon be transported onto the site. But assembly and preparation will take around 90 days,” he said.“After that, sliding the bridge into place is a week-long task,” said the MRIDC official. By November, officials said the railway portion of the bridge would be ready.Alongside, work on the remaining portions of the Sewri Worli Connector are being carried out by the MMRDA and its contractor J Kumar. But in these portions too, challenges have delayed work. One challenge was posed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which wrote in a premonsoon letter to the MMRDA, complaining that excavation and pilling work for the bridge had led to the possibility of siltation and damage to storm water drains (SWD) and sewage lines, potentially causing flooding. Residents had complained of air pollution and footpaths being occupied by scaffolding, which the BMC asked the MMRDA to clear.Story continues below this adAs both the east and west sides of Prabhadevi station are crowded during the day due to the proximity of offices, construction work has spilled on into the night. This has caused further complaints from the residents of the adjoining buildings along the connector, which have complained of shaking due to their age. Officials from the MMRDA said the impact on the old buildings is being monitored by machines, and pilling is done at intensities to ensure no harm.A slight manpower crunch has also affected the contractor J Kumar, ever since the US-Iran-Israel conflict and Bengal elections, after which 10-20% of workers have not returned. Attempts to get more workers onboard continue.“All of this will take the bridge till January-February of 2027 to be complete. Once the railway portion is ready by November, the MMRDA will begin the last of the works connecting the railway and non railway portions. Most of the work will be done by December, leaving the finishing works for early 2027,” officials said.Sabah Virani is a journalist with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau, covering infrastructure, housing and urban issues. In the realms of technical fields, she brings out human stories and the pace of change ongoing in the city. Expertise Specialised Role: Tracking infrastructure in Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Sabah’s reporting tracks progress on various projects. From bridges to metros, she mixes technical details with resourceful information. Core coverage areas: Sabah keeps a close eye on the activities of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and its projects across the MMR, including the metros, road projects, bridges, the bullet train, pod taxi, its role as a planning authority, and more. She also watches for developments from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) and the GoM’s Urban Development department. Housing: Sabah also tracks developments in housing, particularly the workings of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA). She also keeps a keen watch on the big redevelopment projects ongoing in Mumbai, including the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, Motilal Nagar, Kamathipura, BDD Chawl redevelopment, among others. Occasionally, she reports on the environment, biodiversity, waste, arts and culture. Experience: Prior to working for the Indian Express, Sabah covered the municipality, civic issues and miscellaneous for Hindustan Times. Before that, she covered all things Mumbai for the online publication Citizen Matters. She has also worked as an editorial assistant at FiftyTwo.in. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on InstagramTags:Mumbai