Development body seeks more time for link road project

In a presentation made by the MMRDA before the World Bank team,the agency elaborated on the progress on the design clearances from the railways,land acquisitions and project accounts. “A major aspect in SCLR is the Road Over Bridge between Kurla and Vidyavihar stations. We are now going ahead with a steel bridge as it will take less time unlike the RCC bridge,which would have taken three years to complete in the given situation,” said SVR Srinivas,additional metropolitan commissioner. “We take the matter with the Central Railway to expedite speedily.”

Sources said that the World Bank asked the MMRDA to give a “realistic deadline” for the completion of work and later both the agencies are believed to have agreed upon December 2011.

The SCLR project is one of the most delayed projects of the MUTP. The project has been facing problems with rehabilitation and resettlement issues especially in the Kurla and Tilak Nagar areas. The project was also stuck in litigation with one of the MHADA buildings recently approaching the high court. It also faced problems when the bridge designs did not get approval from the railways.

MMRDA officials said the agency may not seek extension for the JVLR project. “Around 98 per cent of JVLR work has been completed and we would complete the project by year end,” said an official.