Bandra-Worli Sea Link May Be Extended To Versova
The Bandra-Worli sea link may be now extended to Versova along the coast after many years of delays and failed attempts in the tendering process. A cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure headed by the chief minister of Maharashtra asked the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) on Wednesday to float tenders for the Bandra-Versova sea link project.
Push for sea link extension
The government received an environmental clearance for the Peddar road flyover. It also received a directive from the national green tribunal for exploring a parallel coastal road along Worli up to Haji Ali. As such, the traffic on western road corridor may get a parallel road from Versova up to Marine Drive near Girgaum Chowpatty in the next 5-6 years, provided everything goes as planned.
Apart from the environment clearance, a public hearing and final plan of consultants are also in place.
Bandra-Versova coastal link
The extension of the Bandra-Worli sea link up to Versova will cover a distance of 11 km from Bandra. Portions of the link will be built on pillars and stilts along the coast, while it will also have bridges on creeks and beaches. The link will be built without disturbing the mangroves and the coast’s beauty. The Juhu beach portion is expected to have a bigger bridge in order to permit easy access to fishermen’s boats.
There were earlier concerns that the Juhu airport’s extended runway may come across the sea link. However, the concern has been resolved. The sea link will have a bridge over Juhu beach area, much towards the sea. The link will also not obstruct the landing path and the runway construction.
The project will be built on a PPP (public private partnership) basis. There will be a toll booth between Bandra and Versova for recovering the construction and maintenance costs. Users will be paying a separate toll here other than the one at the Bandra-Worli sea link. The Bandra-Versova sea link will be expected to save about 45 minutes of commuting time between Versova and South Mumbai. The sea link will also decongest the western express highway (WEH) and the existing suburban railway.
