Bandra-Versova sea link till Virar: MSRDC to submit proposal to Maharashtra govt

Nearly 1.5 lakh vehicles are expected to use the sea link daily. (File)

THE MAHARASHTRA State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has completed the viability study of extending the Bandra-Versova sea link till Virar. The proposal will soon be submitted to the state government.

The proposed extension will take the sea link one kilometre inside the sea till the Vasai creek and end in Virar. Shankar Dhote, MSRDC chief executive engineer, said, “We have completed the viability study in which we looked at the number of motorists who will use the corridor, toll and interchange points.”

Nearly 1.5 lakh vehicles are expected to use the sea link daily. For cars, the toll charges could be Rs 800 and for buses Rs 1 500, for one side. The sea link till Virar will be 52 km in length with eight lanes. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 22,000 crore and the deadline is 2026.

Connecting the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, the bridge will have interchanges at Otter’s club in Bandra and Juhu Koliwada, apart from an exit at Versova.

An MSRDC official said, “Work on the coastal road has already started for the first phase from Nariman Point to Worli, which is expected to be completed in December 2022. Once the coastal road is open to the public, the two sea links, Bandra-Worli and Bandra-Versova, will give motorists direct connectivity to South Bombay,” adding that the extension will help with direct connectivity between Virar and Nariman Point. At present, it takes more than three hours for vehicles to ply between Virar and Nariman Point. Once the sea link becomes operational, it will only half that time to cover the 65-km trip.

The report has suggested four interchange points at Borivali, Dahisar, Bhayander and Vasai.