The roof over the eastern stretch of Mumbai’s Santacruz skywalk is still awaiting approval from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee, leaving pedestrians exposed to heat and rain while work is expected to begin only before the 2027 monsoon.
The roofless section runs along Nehru Road between the Western Express Highway and the St Anthony’s Church junction in Vakola. The skywalk extension has remained without a roof for years, and residents say commuters are being forced to choose between walking on the exposed structure and using traffic-heavy roads towards the Vakola junction.
A senior engineer from the BMC Bridges Department told Mid-Day that the roof design had already been prepared and that the project was now waiting for Standing Committee approval. The engineer said the remaining paperwork and other necessary work would take about 15 days to a month after approval, with construction expected to begin by the 2027 monsoon.
The civic body had floated a tender for the roofing work months ago, but construction has not started. Residents have questioned why the project could take until the next monsoon to move ahead, particularly because the route is used by pedestrians travelling between the Western Express Highway and the Vakola area.
Ivan Pais, a resident and member of the St Anthony’s Street Welfare Association, said his main concern was the time required before work could begin. He said he had contacted several authorities and that the local corporator had informed him that the Standing Committee was expected to approve the proposal in about two weeks. Pais said he would follow up with the authorities again after that period to seek a firm start date.
The roof is the latest pending improvement on the stretch. Residents had repeatedly approached civic authorities over the absence of both weather protection and adequate lighting. Following reports by Mid-Day, the BMC installed lights along the route in March this year, but the lack of a roof continues to leave pedestrians exposed during intense summer conditions and the monsoon.
The approval process will determine when the civic body can complete the remaining formalities and issue the project for execution. Until then, pedestrians using the Santacruz skywalk will continue to rely on an uncovered route, while the BMC’s stated target is to begin the work before the 2027 monsoon.
