A Step Closer: 10 Bidders In Fray For Geotechnical Work On Versova-Virar Sea Link Project In Mumbai

A total of 10 firms have evinced interest for the proposed Versova-Virar Sea Link project (VVSLP)'s detailed geotechnical investigation work after Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) opened technical bids last week.

As part of the survey, boreholes will be drilled at six different location — Versova, Charkop, Uttan, Vasai, Virar and Arnala.

Geotechnical investigations are performed to obtain data about the subsurface soil and rock conditions of the proposed development site.

Project

The project involves not only the construction of a 43 km road over the sea about 1 km off the coast of Mumbai, but also the construction of approximately 60 km of suburban roads, including connector roads and junctions (earthwork and elevated) in addition to the main road, which comes 101 km in total.

The Versova-Virar sea link was earlier to be built by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). However, the project was transferred to the MMRDA in October last year.

Connecting to Other Sea links

The Versova-Virar sea link will be an extension to the Versova Bandra Sea Link (VBSL) Project in the north, which is being built by the MSRDC.

Once built, the sea bridge connecting Versova to Virar would form a “Garland expressway” (a ring road) to the Mumbai and the suburbs.

The Garland expressway would be formed by Eastern expressway, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Western Freeway Link, Bandra Worli Sea Link, Versova Bandra Sea Link and Versova-Virar sea link.

Costliest Sea Link

The Versova-Virar sea link has an estimated budget of Rs 63,426 crore and thus would be the city’s costliest sea link, with the estimated budget for the project having more than doubled in the five years since it was first conceived.

The project first conceptualised in 2018 was estimated to cost about Rs 30,000 crore. The revision in the cost is apparently on account of new additions of certain elements, such as some interchanges and tunnels.

Compared to this, the Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL) — city’s first sea link- was built at a cost of Rs 1,634 crore. The BWSL connecting Worli and Bandra was opened to traffic in 2009.

Similarly, the cost for constructing Mumbai’s second sea-link, the Versova Bandra Sea Link, is set to rise to slightly over 60 per cent to Rs 11,332.81 crore by the time it is completed in 2023.