Haji Ali link won’t be cable-stayed

Sources said,the BWSL,though an engineering marvel,has it design based on the construction techniques of 1999-2000. “A decade later,there are better ways of construction available. It is going to be a much lighter structure,” said a source working on the project.

Every pillar of the BWSL,the source said,was built with “piling done with four piles and a pile cap”. In the next arm,a mono-pile would be erected. “It is a new technique and will not have pile-caps. A mono-pile consumes less time; all that is needed is a good enough surface on the seabed. Since the piles are fewer in comparison to those used on BWSL,it will help complete the project in 42 months.” The consortium plans to complete piling work in a year after construction starts in December.

The Haji Ali link will have a 3.25-km main deck and a 2.25-km cloverleaf interchange,one of the first in the deep sea in India. “Different plans are being worked on for the interchange. One plan is that the loop would go under,” the source said.

The Reliance Infrastructure Ltd-led consortium is expected to make an upfront payment of Rs 1,634 crore to MSRDC by December,following which it will have the right for operations and maintenance of BWSL.