The Mumbai Metropolitan
Region Development
Authority, the nodal authority
for the
8,800-crore Mumbai
Trans-harbour Link project has
received six bids. The muchdelayed
project moved a bit closer
to reality with MMRDA saying
that it had received six prequalification
bids involving 18 companies.
The project involves the construction
of the longest sea bridge
in the country.
The proposed 22-km link to be
built through public-private
partnership on DBFOT basis
will connect Sewri in the island
city to Nhava in Navi Mumbai.
The project will also help provide
boost to development of
Navi Mumbai and neighbouring
Raigad and the surrounding
areas, while enabling speedy
movement to the proposed international
airport in Navi Mumbai.
It will have a 16.5-km bridge
across Mumbai harbour and 5.5-
km-long viaduct approaches to
Sewri and Nhava. Interchanges
are proposed at Sewri to connect
to the Eastern Freeway and at
Chirle to connect to the NH-4B
to facilitate traffic dispersal. The
project is likely to be completed
in five years.
The Maharashtra Government
has declared the project as a
regional development project
making it eligible for 20 per cent
'Viability Gap Funding' from the
Central Government.
MMRDA said a total of 18 companies
grouped among themselves
in consortia were involved
in the six submissions. The consortiums
that have evinced interest
are: Cintra-Soma-SREI, Gammon
Infrastructure Projects, OHL
Concessions, G.S. Engineering;
GMR Infrastructure, L&T, Samsung
C&T Corpn, IL & FS Transportation
Networks-Unity Infrastructure-
Navayuga Engineering
Co-Rizzani DE Eccher spA; IRB
Infrastructure Developers-
Hyundai; Tata Realty and Infrastructure-
Autostrade Indian
Infrastructure Development-
Vinci Concessions Development.
Rahul Asthana, Metropolitan
Commissioner, MMRDA, said,
"The link that will facilitate
smooth and faster communication
in Mumbai and Main Land (Navi
Mumbai), was envisaged about
30 years back. We are really happy
that the project will now head to
fruition. This link will also help
the development of Navi Mumbai,
Raigad district and neighbouring
areas."
Meanwhile, the authority has
asked Cidco for a 10-hectare plot
in Navi Mumbai for developing
the land commercially and use the
money to fund the trans-harbour
link project.
MMRDA invited the bids in
November 2011.