India, Sept. 14 -- Passengers faced severe travel disruptions after 11 key BEST and MSRTC bus services were either curtailed or rerouted following the closure of the Elphinstone Road bridge late Friday night. The shutdown came as demolition work began to make way for the new double-decker bridge that will be part of the Sewri-Worli Elevated Connector.

For many daily commuters, the impact was immediate and frustrating. The four major BEST routes - A-162, 168, A-177, and 201 - that once connected commuters through the bridge now follow lengthy detours or terminate prematurely, adding considerable time to travel.

"Normally, I would reach Parel in 20 minutes from Goregaon," said Sunil Deshpande, a factory worker. "Today, it took me over an ...