The structure, spanning 80 mt and connecting Mumbra to Dombivli, Manpada, Kalyan, Ambernath, Thane city and Mumbra to Vashi in Navi Mumbai and Kalyan, collpased at 3.45 am today. Despite its size, an average 7,000-8,000 vehicles traverse the bridge every day.

Public Works Department (PWD) officials say the structure was built about 40 years ago and had never undergone any repiars. Police say the pillars on which it stood were partly submerged in water and had probably weakened due to this.

Police Inspector Kashinath Kachre of the Mumbra police station told Express Newsline that samples of what remained of the slabs would be sent for chemical analysis to ascertain the quality of material used in construction. Locals, however, say private constructioncompanies have been regularly dredging sand from the seabed, which had weakened the base. Traffic will now be diverted via the Bhiwandi bypass.