India, April 6 -- The sound of firecrackers greeted residents near Parel and Prabhadevi stations early in the morning on Sunday as Central Railway and the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC) authorities and workers celebrated the demolition of the British-era Elphinstone road over bridge (ROB). The ROB had served as a key east-west connector for 115 years.

The demolition required an additional 90 minutes beyond the 6.5-hour mega block announced earlier, inconveniencing rail commuters and forcing many to walk along the tracks. While CR and MRIDC refused to comment on the delay, officials involved in the demolition said the process took more time than anticipated as the bridge was very old and girders were ruste...