Mumbai: The Reliance Infrastructure and Italian firm Astaldi’s joint venture has won the bid for Versova-Bandra Sealink. Reliance Infra has already been awarded the bid for 32.32-km-long Wadala-Ghatkopar-Thane-Kasarvadavali Metro.
This sea-link project, worth about Rs 7,500 crore, is expected to be completed within five years. In 2016, this same project was worth Rs 5,500 core. “It has been assured to us that the project will be completed in four years. RInfra and Astaldi combine has won the bid but it will take a month before the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation board endorses it,” said an MSRDC official.
In December 2017, the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure had replaced its Chinese partner for the sea-link project. Reliance was one of the five companies that had bid for the sea-link work. Like Reliance, other Indian companies had gone for a JV, too. This project was first proposed in 2009, but after the idea of coastal road was floated, it was abandoned. Now, this project has gained momentum, since there is a delay in the coastal road project due to opposition from environmentalists and Juhu residents. Since then, the cost of the project has gone up substantially.