Construction of the third Thane Creek Bridge (TCB 3) is in primary stage, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has said. Work on the third bridge started last December and eight-pile concreting has been completed in stilt portion at the Vashi side, it said. Similarly, at Mankhurd side, four-pile construction has been completed besides other civil works, an MSRDC official said. The actual progress of work is 3% of contract value.
The MSRDC has appointed Larsen & Toubro for the project and the contract is worth Rs 559 crore. The project completion deadline is 36 months and the defect liability period is another 48 months. The TCB 3, once ready, will provide additional six lanes to the existing TCB 2. Considering the rising traffic and the upcoming airport at Navi Mumbai, this bridge will facilitate a smooth traffic movement and provide hassle-free connectivity between the twin cities of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, the official said. The existing TCB 1 and 2 were built in 1973 and 1997 respectively.
For the construction of the bridge, the MSRDC had provided 1.4 hectare land in Erangal at Malad island for carrying out afforestation. Besides, it paid Rs 15 crore separately to the mangrove cell for conservation of mangroves and flamingo sanctuary affected due to this project.
