After 5.6 km Bandra–Worli Sea Link, now Mumbaikars are likely to get another 42.75-km sea bridge, which will connect the Versova-Bandra Sea Link (VBSL) to Virar.
According to the Hindustan Times, the 42.75-km sea bridge will have connectors at Charkop, Uttan, Vasai, and Virar. The bridge is expected to cost Rs 24,000 crore. With the coastal road and the proposed extension, the travel time between Nariman Point and Virar is likely to be reduced to an hour from the current three hours. Shankar Dhote, chief engineer (special projects), MSRDC told the leading daily, “The report has to be passed by the state government’s infrastructure committee before a detailed project report is prepared.”
The pre-feasibility study of the proposed extension says that the eight-lane main bridge will connect Versova to Virar with six-lane connectors at four locations and toll plazas at every interchange. The estimated one-way toll from Versova to Vasai is likely to be Rs 814 for a car and Rs 1,669 for a bus.
The civic body has already begun the work for phase-1 of the coastal road, from Nariman Point to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. On the other hand, the MSRDC recently awarded the contract for the 17.17-km VBSL to Reliance Infrastructure at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore.
