30-year evil spell on trans-harbour link ends

The long-pending Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) project moved a little closer to reality with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) saying that it has received six pre-qualification bids, involving 18 companies, for it.

Earlier, attempts to start the Rs8,800 crore project involving the construction of India’s longest sea bridge connecting the Island City with Navi Mumbai and Raigad have failed twice.

This development comes after 30 years since the project was first mooted.

The project was later handed over to the MMRDA from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited (MSRDC).

MMRDA commissioner Rahul Asthana said considering their past experience, they had tried to make the bidders comfortable about “reduction of risk” in terms of revenue and construction to get good bids for the MTHL.

“This is a giant step forward in terms of building the project, which has been hanging for decades,” said Asthana. The construction, which would take around five years, would start next year, he said.
 

The MMRDA is also planning to award the construction contract by November.  The project will get 40% viability gap funding (VGF) of which half will be given by the MMRDA and the rest by the Centre.

The MMRDA is also planning to give the concessioner a soft loan to the tune of 20% of the project cost. The project also has a real estate component.

The six-lane MTHL will have a 16.5km section in the sea and a 5.5 kilometre portion on land. It will connect Sewri in Central Mumbai to Chirle in Navi Mumbai.

It will provide better linkages to the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport, Pune, Goa, the growth centers in Raigad district, Konkan coastline and southern states.

It will also help movement of cargo from Mumbai Harbour and JNPT. The project, which will be executed through public private partnership (PPP), will have a concession period of 45 years, including the construction period, in which the company will collect toll.

The MTHL has claimed that the regional development project will seek to develop Navi Mumbai and the mainland as a counter magnet to decongest Mumbai.

The 18 companies that submitted six proposals, include the consortia led by Tata Realty & Infrastructure-Autostrade Indian Infrastructure Development-Vinci Concessions Development; GMR Infrastructure-L&T-Samsung C&T Corp; Gammon Infrastructure Projects-OHL Concessions-GS Engineering; IL&FS Transportation Networks-Unity Infrastructure-Navayuga Engineering Co-Rizzani DE Eccher spA; IRB Infrastructure Developers-Hyundai; and a consortium, led by Cintra-
Soma-Srie.