BMC’s Rs 2,395 crore bridge connecting Versova to Madh gets green nod; set to reduce travel time from an hour to under 10 minutes
At present, there is no direct connectivity between Versova and Madh, so citizens either have to travel via Link Road, SV Road or Western Express Highway.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) Wednesday gave in-principle approval to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for constructing the Rs 2,395 crore cable-stayed bridge that will connect Versova to Madh. The announcement of the key clearance was made by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and MP from Mumbai (North).
The clearance from the MoEFCC was required as the project will pass through large hectares of mangrove patches.
The project is set to bring down commute time between Versova and Madh Island to not more than 10 minutes, which at present takes 45 minutes to an hour during peak hour. Since there is no direct connectivity between these two places, citizens either have to travel via Link Road, SV Road or Western Express Highway (WEH).
“This bridge will form a direct connectivity between Madh Island and Versova, removing the need for long detours and ferry services. To meet the future traffic needs, the bridge will be integrated with the upcoming coastal road that will connect Versova with Bhayander,” Goyal said by issuing a statement.
Goyal also said that the project was envisioned in the 1967 Development Plan (DP), and his office has been pursuing the project to ensure all the permissions come through.
The tenders for this project were floated in March last year, and the work orders were issued in September. The final cost of the project has been pegged at Rs 2,395 crore, which was 33 per cent above the estimated cost of Rs 1,800 crore. When contacted, civic officials maintained that the estimated cost was updated, keeping in mind the change in market rates, and also several factors like labour charges, material costs and Goods and Services Tax (GST) were included in the final cost of the project.
Civic officials said now that all the major permissions are in place, the next step will be to approach the Bombay High Court since the project will pass above creeks and mangroves.
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“The bridge will pass above the Marve creek, which falls under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) area. Therefore, we have to inform the HC about the green cover that will be impacted and present our Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. We have already secured permission from the forest department and the state coastal management authority. After the final NOC comes from the HC, we will go ahead with the construction work,” an official said.
The blueprint of this project was finalised by BMC in 2020. Since the alignment of this project had to pass through a dense mangrove cover and coastal regulatory zone, the civic body required environmental clearances.
Later, in March 2022, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) had asked BMC to come up with an alternate alignment for this bridge, to ensure minimum damage to the mangroves.
The previous blueprint was also opposed by the local Koli community, which alleged that the alignment would create an inconvenience for them while parking their boats and drive away the fish from the shallow water, affecting their livelihood in return.
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“The new alignment ensures minimum damage to the environment, and the bridge will be entirely cable-stayed, which means that we will carry out piling work at a limited capacity,” the official added.
The authorities aim to start work on the bridge by the year-end and have set a three-year deadline for completing the project.
The bridge will be 2.06 km long and will be a cable-stayed structure. It will connect Madh Island in the western suburbs with Versova by passing above the Madh Creek.
Pratip Acharya is a seasoned journalist based in Mumbai reporting for The Indian Express. With a career spanning over a decade, his work demonstrates strong Expertise and Authority in critical urban issues, civic affairs, and electoral politics across Eastern and Western India.
Expertise & Authority
Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express (IE), reporting from Mumbai.
Core Authority: Pratip's reporting focuses sharply on local democracy and development, specializing in:
Urban Governance and Civic Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis of municipal decision-making, city planning, and local infrastructure, essential for informed urban reporting.
City Politics and Environment: Covering the political dynamics of Mumbai and surrounding areas, alongside critical environmental challenges impacting the metro region.
Electoral Coverage (High-Stakes Experience): He has extensive experience in high-stakes political reporting, having covered major elections, establishing his Trustworthiness in political analysis:
National: Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019.
State: West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016 and Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2019.
Major Assignments (Ground Reporting): Pratip demonstrated commitment during crises by conducting ground reporting throughout the Covid-19 pandemic since its breakout in 2020, offering first-hand accounts and analysis of the public health crisis.
Experience
Extensive Experience: Starting his career in 2014, Pratip has built his foundation across multiple prominent English dailies:
Started at The Times of India in Kolkata (2014).
Relocated to Mumbai (2016) and worked with The Free Press Journal and Hindustan Times before joining The Indian Express.
Pratip Acharya's diverse experience across major publications, coupled with his specialized focus on the intricate details of urban governance and a track record of covering major electoral and health crises, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for news from India's critical metropolitan centres. ... Read More
