Mumbai, Jul 10: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday inaugurated the reconstructed Carnac Road Over Bridge (ROB) in south Mumbai, which has been rechristened as “Sindoor Bridge” as a tribute to Indian military’s ‘Operation Sindoor’.
The Indian Army has showcased exceptional courage and strategic precision during ‘Operation Sindoor’ by striking deep into terrorist bases in Pakistan’s hinterland, Fadnavis said.
“This renaming is a tribute to our armed forces and India’s defense capabilities,” he said on the occasion.
The east-west connecting ‘Sindoor Bridge’ was rebuilt by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), after the original 150-year-old structure was declared unsafe by the Central Railway (CR) and dismantled in August 2022.
It will help ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity in south Mumbai.
The British-era bridge, an east-west connector, was earlier known as the Carnac Bridge after former Bombay Province governor James Rivett Carnac, who held the office from 1839 to 1841.
Fadnavis said the old bridge at the location was named after the British governor Carnac, and history shows he committed atrocities against Indians.
In a book about Satara’s history, Prabodhankar Thackeray, the grandfather of Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, had written a chapter about Chhatrapati Pratap Singh Maharaj and Rango Bapu, the CM said.
“The book gives an excellent account of how Chhatrapati Pratap Singh and Rango Bapu were falsely implicated on charges of rebellion and conspiracy and how they eventually emerged from it,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the past that these dark chapters of history must come to an end. The symbols of colonial slavery should be wiped away, Fadnavis noted.
“As part of that initiative, today the name of this bridge has also been changed,” he said.
“Now the Carnac Bridge has officially been renamed as Sindoor Bridge, and this is truly a moment of joy for all of us,” Fadnavis said, adding the bridge will serve Mumbaikars efficiently.
The chief minister praised the BMC for the completion of the bridge within the timeline, overcoming various challenges.
He said the bridge approaches have been very well constructed. They are wide and well-designed.
Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar, cabinet minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
Narwekar had written a letter to the BMC for renaming the reconstructed bridge as ‘Sindoor Bridge’, replacing the old name Carnac Bridge.
The bridge was decorated with flowers, and BJP flags were put at every few metres, along with posters having photographs of the chief minister and the assembly speaker.
The bridge connects eastern and western parts of the Central Railway’s train tracks (between Mumbai CSMT and Masjid stations) and links to P D’Mello Road.
According to the BMC, the new structure, constructed as per a design approved by CR, spans a length of 328 metres, including a 70-metre stretch within railway limits and 230 metres of approach roads on either side.
It features two steel girders, each 70 metres long, 26.5 metres wide, and 10.8 metres high, weighing 550 metric tonnes, mounted on reinforced concrete piers. Work on the eastern approach, including piling, civil works, and asphalting, was completed in just four months, as per the civic body.
The installation of massive girders above the railway tracks, considered a complex civil and structural engineering feat, was carried out in October 2024 and January 2025, a civic release earlier said.
The reconstructed bridge has successfully undergone load testing, and the BMC has secured all necessary clearances, including structural stability certification, safety clearance, and a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from railway authorities, it said.
The civic body said the bridge is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion at key intersections such as Walchand Hirachand Marg and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road and improve east-west traffic flow across important routes, including Yusuf Meherally Road, Mohammad Ali Road, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Road. (PTI)
