The Western Railway (WR) has initiated the reconstruction of Bridge No. 20, a historic structure spanning the Mithi River between Bandra and Mahim stations. This project marks the replacement of one of the Indian Railways' last remaining screw-pile bridges, originally constructed in 1888.
To carry out the work, two overnight blocks have been scheduled: January 24-25 and January 25-26. During these nine-and-a-half-hour blocks, local train services between Dadar and Andheri stations will be suspended.
The bridge, built with cast iron screw piles that have supported railway tracks for 135 years, will be replaced with a modern reinforced cement concrete (RCC) foundation. This transition follows the Railway Board’s directive to replace screw-pile structures after a rail accident on a similar bridge in Kerala in 2001 highlighted safety concerns.
The bridge supports four railway lines—two slow and two fast—connecting Churchgate and Virar. The first block will impact only the slow lines, while the second will affect all four. The structure comprises eight cast iron pillars, each weighing 8-10 tonnes, with a diameter of 600 millimeters and a thickness of 50 millimeters. These pillars extend 15-20 meters into the riverbed but have weakened over time, posing risks despite periodic reinforcements.
A Western Railway engineer explained that the cast iron screw piles would be dismantled and replaced during the reconstruction. The 50-60 meter-long bridge, supported by seven cement girders, is also undergoing modifications. Cofferdams have been erected on both sides of the river to block water flow, with high-power pumps deployed to manage water accumulation