Metro 7A Viaduct Faces Rebuilding Risk Over Airport Height Limits

A section of the elevated viaduct for Mumbai's Metro 7A line near Airport Colony may have to be dismantled and reconstructed if airport authorities do not clear the additional height required for overhead electrification (OHE) infrastructure.

MMRDA Director (Metro Project) Basavaraj MB stated that the project's general consultant, SYSTRA-CEG-SMCIPL, was responsible for coordinating design and statutory mandates, including aviation-related height restrictions. However, the additional clearance needed for the OHE poles was not adequately highlighted or factored in during the initial design and planning stages.

While the Airport Colony station itself falls within the height boundaries sanctioned by airport authorities, the ramp requires an extra 2.4 metres to accommodate the OHE poles. Elsewhere along the elevated alignment, required additional heights range from 0.025 metres to 2.244 metres.

Failure to secure approvals for the extra height could necessitate major structural modifications or rebuilding of the viaduct. This puts civil works valued at more than Rs 260 crore at risk, alongside the threat of project delays and cost escalations.

The MMRDA and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed a memorandum of understanding on October 11, 2021, as a significant section of the Metro 7A alignment passes through airport land.

MMRDA has been pursuing approvals with the AAI, Mumbai International Airport Limited, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation since April 2024. Formal letters were dispatched on April 25 and September 24 in 2024, followed by further communications on January 29, March 20, and May 29 in 2025. The authority is currently awaiting AAI's final technical report regarding applicable height clearances and required structural modifications.