Madh-Versova cable bridge gets coastal authority nod
Earlier, the project also faced opposition from the fishing community as the bridge would cause inconvenience in parking their boats.
3 min read
A digital illustration of the Madh-Versova Bridge THE BRIHANMUMBAI Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) ambitious cable-stayed bridge project that will connect Versova with Madh Island in the western suburbs received the final nod from Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) on Thursday.
The idea of this project was conceived almost a decade ago, since there is no road that directly connects the two places, and is separated by the Versova creek which is an inlet of the Arabian Sea.
The only mode of direct public transport is a ferry service, which also remains non-operational for four months during monsoon. Besides this, the only available mode of commute is a 22-km route between Madh Island and Versova vai Western Express Highway (WEH) or SV Road. The commute usually takes 45-90 minutes depending on the time of the day. BMC has said that once this bridge is operational, travel time between the two places will come down to 7- 10 minutes.
The blueprint of this project was finalised by BMC back in 2020. However, since the road passes through a dense mangrove cover and coastal regulatory zone, the civic body required clearances from MCZMA.
Earlier in March–2022, MCZMA had asked BMC to find an alternate alignment for this bridge, to ensure minimum damage to the mangroves. Also, earlier the project faced opposition from the Versova-Madh fishing community which said that the proposed bridge would cause inconvenience in parking their boats.
P Velrasu, additional municipal commissioner (Projects), confirmed Thursday’s development with The Indian Express, saying that the latest design was created only after consulting fishermen and coastal zonal authorities.
“The latest alignment plan of this bridge is supported by the fishing community and will also affect the minimum number of mangroves. We will study the approval letter by MCZMA following which a tender will be floated,” Velrasu told The Indian Express on Thursday.
When the project was conceived, the bridge was estimated to cost Rs 400 crore, which is now likely to increase owing to cost-escalation. The cable-stayed flyover will be 1.5 km long and 27.5 m wide. The bridge will have four lanes with two lanes each side. Civic officials also maintained that to ensure minimum damage to mangroves, temporary culverts will be created during construction.
Dhaval Shah, local resident and founder of Lokhandwala-Oshiwara Citizen’s Association (LOCA), said, “This bridge will be a boon for Andheri-Versova residents, and will enable dissipating the northbound inflow of vehicles from the Coastal Road.”
You May Like
Photos
