New Aarey metro footbridge stays locked, commuters forced to take detour

Some commuters recall seeing the bridge briefly open. “A couple of months ago, the bridge was opened for a few days, but only workers going to the commercial complex were allowed. Within days, it was closed again for everyone else,” said Ritesh Uttamchandani, a Goregaon resident

MUMBAI: For over two months, daily commuters at Aarey metro station in Goregaon East have been grappling with an odd inconvenience: a brand-new foot overbridge (FOB), constructed to give them direct access across the Western Express Highway, remains locked.

New Aarey metro footbridge stays locked, commuters forced to take detour

As a result, passengers exiting the station must walk nearly 50 metres along the road and climb another pedestrian bridge maintained by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). “All this jugglery even after infrastructure is ready,” commuter Rahul Kumar Jha vented on X, pointing out that the bridge was originally expected to be inaugurated on August 15.

Aarey metro station, which falls on Metro Line 7 (Gundavali–Dahisar East), already has a civic-maintained FOB for pedestrians. The new bridge, built by Oberoi Realty under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) policy requiring private developers to provide direct access to stations from nearby establishments, was completed earlier this year. It runs parallel to the BMC’s bridge at the northern end of the station.

Some commuters recall seeing the bridge briefly open. “A couple of months ago, the bridge was opened for a few days, but only workers going to the commercial complex were allowed. Within days, it was closed again for everyone else,” said Ritesh Uttamchandani, a Goregaon resident.

Officials from Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL), which operates Metro Line 7, told Hindustan Times that the bridge has not been opened because it is awaiting mandatory safety clearance — similar to an occupation certificate required before a building can be used. Without this approval, the FOB cannot be thrown open to the public.

While Oberoi Realty has not responded to queries, MMMOCL has also not committed to a date for opening the facility. This silence has left thousands of commuters to deal with avoidable detours, even as a ready piece of infrastructure stands locked beside them.