One wait ends, another begins | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

One wait ends, another begins

Hindustan Times | ByZeeshan Shaikh, Mumbai
Jun 30, 2009 12:31 AM IST

Various experts and consultants have pointed to Mumbai’s 62-km coastline as the answer to the city’s commuting problems. Various ideas, from inland water transport to roads parallel to the sea, were floated, but the Bandra-Worli Sealink is the only project that has become a reality. Zeeshan Shaikh reports.

Various experts and consultants have pointed to Mumbai’s 62-km coastline as the answer to the city’s commuting problems. Various ideas, from inland water transport to roads parallel to the sea, were floated, but the Bandra-Worli Sealink is the only project that has become a reality.

HT Image
HT Image

The sealink itself is only part of a larger project — the 20-km Western Freeway Sea Link (WFSL) planned from Bandra till Nariman Point. The WFSL is part of a series of inter-connected sea bridges that is expected to solve Mumbai’s traffic woes.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

When it will see the light of day is anybody’s guess.

The second part of WFSL is the 3.3-km Worli-Haji Ali Sealink that the government hopes to complete by 2013. The final part will be the 10.9-km Haji Ali-Nariman Point Sealink.

The Reliance Infrastructure-Hyundai consortium emerged as the preferred bidder for the Worli-Haji Ali phase in February. The consortium sought Rs 1,392 crore from the government as viability gap funding — money given by the government to make the project economically viable. This was lower then the Rs 2,466 crore sought by the HCC-John Laing-Samsung consortium.

The government, however, is still debating whom the contract should go to. “We are evaluating the financial details; a decision will be taken soon,” Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said.

The base cost is Rs 1,120 crore, but the bidder must also buy the 5.6-km Bandra Worli Sealink from the state for Rs 1,640 crore.

The total cost of the bridges that will connect Bandra to Haji Ali has been pegged at Rs 4,500 crore. The winning bidder will have to pay this amount in return for toll collection rights. The cost will be recovered over 40 years, after which the bridges will be given back to the government.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On