BMC Struggles to Find Bidder for ₹220 Cr Bridge Project Connecting Fishermen Colony in Mahim & WEH

Mumbai: The BMC is yet to find a suitable bidder for the construction of a new bridge over Mahim Causeway which will run between Fishermen Colony in Mahim and the Western Express Highway (WEH). The bridge will give additional connectivity from Dadar and Mahim to the commuters going to Nariman Point and also ease the traffic at Senapati Bapat road and SV Road. A tender has been invited for the third time in last year to build the Rs220 crore bridge.

Traffic woes

Currently, due to traffic congestion, a 1km stretch takes 30 minutes while coming from Senapati Bapat road at Mahim to Worli Sea Link or the WEH. To ease traffic congestion, the BMC proposed the new bridge over Mahim Causeway in the 2022-23 civic budget. The bridge will have two arms – one towards the WEH for traffic from the suburbs to the island city and the other near Sea Link at Bandra for the commuters from the island city to reach the Western suburbs. The length of the first arm is 512 metre and the second arm is 319 metre. The connecting bridge has a length of 420 metre, which will be open for two-way traffic on a four-lane road.

The Civic first invited a tender for the construction of the bridge in September 2022. However, the bridge will require environmental clearances from forest cells before work orders can be issued.

“The area where the piers of the bridge are proposed to be located falls under the Coastal Regulation Zone. We will require environmental clearances to move forward. The bidder is expected to complete all the procedures,” said a senior civic official. Once the work order is issued, the construction of the bridge can begin post-monsoon. The bridge is expected to be ready in 24 months (excluding the monsoon period).

Pointers

Bridge to decongest WEH

Construction time: Two years 

Estimated cost: Rs220 crore 

Expected to start: After clearance from Forest cell from Nagpur