11 September,2024 07:51 AM IST | Mumbai | Sameer Surve
The site of the proposed bridge (in red)
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) recently approved the proposal to construct the bridge over Versova Creek, which will connect Versova and Madh. The cost approved for the part cable-stayed bridge project is R3,246 crore, which includes the cost of construction, three years of maintenance, rent of the casting yard, and price variation due to labour and material costs. The BMC has included almost 24 per cent in the contract for cost variation, which amounts to Rs 550 crore.
According to the proposal passed by the civic administration recently, the estimated cost of constructing the bridge is Rs 2,038 crore. The bridge is 2.06 km long and there will be three sections - of 150 m, 300 m and 150 m - which will be cable-stayed. The cable-stayed portions will have four lanes while the rest of the bridge will have six lanes. The bridge will be able to accommodate vehicles travelling at a speed of 100 kmph.
The bridge will start near Amaranth Road, which is along the outer side of Versova Koliwada, and end at Madh jetty. Officials said there is currently a ferry service operating between Madh and Versova. "But this bridge will provide 24-hour connectivity between Madh and Versova as the ferry service is not operational at night," an official said.
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The Madh-Versova bridge was first proposed in 2015 and the final blueprint of the project was finalised five years later. According to the reports, the project's estimated cost at the time was around Rs 700 crore. The BMC invited tenders for the project in March 2024, and the cost was estimated at Rs 2,038 crore. Officials claim that the estimated cost has been updated as per the market rate of 2023. The BMC closed the tender in July and passed the proposal in August. The bridge will be ready in 36 months.
The civic body has already received permission from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for CRZ clearance. The permission from the Forest Department is under process. Currently, Madh Island and Aksha Village are connected with the city via Malad, which is around 10 km away. "With the bridge ready, the distance to these two villages will be reduced by 3-4 km," an official said.
