While construction work on Bandra-Versova Sea-Link (BVSL) is set to start from October, there are plans of extending the Sea-Link all the way up to Virar from Versova for which a feasibility study will be conducted, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) said on Tuesday.
Radheshyam Mopalwar, Managing Director of the MSRDC said, "We are going to conduct a feasibility study for extending BVSL up to Virar. We are also in touch with civic officials who are planning to construct a coastal road till Kandivali. We are exploring the plans of extension after the state cabinet asked MSRDC to do so, in hope of decongesting traffic on existing major roads."
Further, the MSRDC also plans to have three additional connectors to connect BVSL with Bandra Reclamation, along with Western Express Highway near Vile Parle and Andheri. This, the MSRDC says, will be decongest the traffic on city roads.
The additional three connectors are apart from the already proposed connectors for at Bandra, Juhu and Versova will be elevated and also at grade at various locations.
On Tuesday the MSRDC also signed a formal agreement with Reliance Infrastructure and Italian firm Astaldi which has bagged the Rs 7,000 crore project.
"The construction work will start by October, and it will take around five years to complete the 17-km-long sea-link. We also have a clause where the contractor will get up to five per cent of the incentive of the total project cost, in case the construction is completed at least six months in advance," Mopalwar added.
The BVSL is a part of the state government's ambitious coastal road project to connect south Mumbai with the western suburbs. The project is going to be funded by the MSRDC after taking loans from domestic banks. Once completed, motorists will be able to travel from Versova to Worli through the Bandra-Worli Sea-link in 15 minutes, from where one can go till Nariman Point using the coastal road being constructed by the BMC.
Meanwhile, toll collection for the total Rs 11,000 crore project will be for around 30 years.
