Finally! Work on Versova-Bandra Sea Link to start next month
Work on the much-awaited Versova-Bandra Sea Link (VBSL) will kick start next month, as Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) signed a deal with consortium of Reliance Infrastructure and Italy-based Astaldi yesterday. The Rs. 7,000cr project is expected to be finished by 2023 and once it's done, travel time between Worli (South Mumbai), to Versova (Western suburbs) will reduce from 60 to 15 minutes.
Design to be tweaked, link to have three connectors
MSRDC vice- chairman and MD, Radheshyam Mopalwar said they are also planning to tweak the design a bit, by adding three extra road connectors at Otters Club in Bandra, Juhu Koliwada in Juhu and Nana Nani Park in Versova. The Juhu Koliwada connector might be linked to Western Express Highway, the 8-10 lane arterial road that carries the maximum load of vehicles in Mumbai.
"Idea is to connect two airports to the sea link"
The 17.17km-long VBSL will attract a total of 70,000 vehicles, with 42,000 taking the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, said Mopalwar, adding talks are on to have another connector between Bandra Fort and the sea link. "The idea is to connect two airports to the sea link, reducing the load on WEH." Louis Berger, the consultants for VBSL, will conduct a feasibility study for the same.
But, work will be stalled for three months for monsoons
CEO of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure Limited, Lalit Jalan assured the project will be completed by the stipulated time, even though "It's three times the size of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, which took 10 years to build." "We've effectively just over three-and-a-half years to complete this complex project, as work will be completely stalled for three months each year owing to monsoons," he added.
If project gets completed before time, bonus will be awarded
"The project, once completed will transform the way people live and travel in Mumbai," Jalan concluded. Mopalwar said MSRDC will award Rs. 350cr bonus to the Reliance Infrastructure-Astaldi joint-venture if they can manage to build the sea link six months before the deadline.
