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A brand-new foot overbridge at Aarey metro station remains locked, forcing commuters to take long routes daily.
The new FOB was scheduled to be opened on August 15. (Photo Credit: X)
Commuters at Aarey metro station in Mumbai’s Goregaon East are facing an unexpected hassle every day. Even though a brand-new foot overbridge (FOB) was built to help them cross the busy Western Express Highway (WEH) directly from the metro station, it has remained locked for over two months.
Instead of using the new bridge, passengers have no choice but to walk about 50 metres along the road and climb another older pedestrian bridge maintained by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). This makes the daily commute for Mumbai Metro passengers unnecessarily longer and inconvenient.
New Aarey Metro FOB Inauguration Delayed
The new foot overbridge was scheduled to be opened to the public on August 15. However, it has not been inaugurated so far.
A commuter recently shared the plight of the daily commuters in a post on X.
“FOB from Aarey Metro to cross the WEH was to be inaugurated on August 15, still remains locked. Meanwhile, commuters have to get down from the exit, walk 50 metres on the road and climb stairs for the BMC FOB. All this jugglery, even after the infrastructure is ready,” the Mumbai Metro passenger shared on X.
Aarey metro station is part of Metro Line 7, connecting Gundavali to Dahisar East. The station already has a pedestrian bridge maintained by BMC, but the new bridge was constructed by Oberoi Realty under a policy by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The rule requires private developers to provide direct access to metro stations from nearby buildings or commercial complexes.
This newly built bridge runs parallel to the existing BMC bridge at the northern end of the station and was completed earlier this year.
The bridge was briefly opened but later closed again
According to commuters, the bridge was opened for a short period. However, it was later closed. A Goregaon resident told the Hindustan Times, “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.”
Officials from the Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL), which operates Metro Line 7, explained that the reason for the delay is that the bridge is still waiting for mandatory safety clearance. This is similar to an occupation certificate needed before a building is opened to the public. Without this approval, the FOB cannot be opened, as per the HT report.
Meanwhile, MMMOCL has also not given a timeline for the opening of the bridge for commuters.
Delhi, India, India
September 06, 2025, 17:37 IST
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