The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has proposed comprehensive maintenance work on the Bandra Worli Sea Link, also known as Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link. It has recently floated a tender of Rs 3.29 crore, seeking an agency to carry out the said work. The selected agency will be responsible for supply and installation of mast climbing work platforms on the pylons of the Sea Link and carry out maintenance work for a period of one year.
Mast climbing work platforms or mast climbers, are a type of construction elevating equipment used to perform work at heights.
According to MSRDC, interested agencies can submit bids on/before May 4th, by paying earnest money deposit as bid security of Rs 1.5 lakh. On the next day-- May 5th, all received bids will be opened for further awarding of contract to the eligible party.
The MSRDC official said, "On tolled roads the maintenance work is taken care by the selected toll operators. However, for the Bandra Worli Sea Link, temporary toll operators have been hired as the contract tenure of three years with the previous operator expired. The old contractor, MEP Infrastructure, has been continued for the job, which submits the revenue on a weekly basis."
Reportedly, the MSRDC on the lines of Mumbai Pune Expressway, has desired to sell the toll rights of the Sea Link for a longer period of 19 years at an upfront cost of nearly Rs 3,000 crore. Due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus and positive cases of Covid-19 once again rising, strict restrictions imposed by the state government following which the vehicular traffic on road has reduced. Therefore, the MSRDC will carry out fresh traffic survey and determine revised cost for toll rights which may take some more time, informed the official.
