MSRDC hires developer for Versova-Bandra Sea Link

MUMBAI: Countdown to construction of the Rs 7,000 crore Versova-Bandra Sea Link (VBSL) has finally begun.
On Monday, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) formally appointed the Reliance Infrastructure-Astaldi SpA (Italy) consortium as the project developer. The 10km VBSL project is expected to take five years to complete.

VBSL will span 9.6km between the Bandra-end of the existing sea link and Versova and will have four 8.1km long connectors, taking the total construction length to 17.7km—around three times that of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
At Rs 7,000 crore, VBSL is one of the largest engineering and construction projects on a build and transfer basis, said an industry source. “Reliance Infrastructure is fully geared to deliver the project in 60 months from the date of contract,” said a senior RInfra official. The consortium has already completed works related to soil investigation in partnership with Fugro and Renuka Enterprise, and the projects’s engineering design with Dar Al Handasah.
MSRDC said it will soon finalize the casting yard for work to start on the project. It has informed the Supreme Court that it will find another location for a casting yard. In April, Bombay high court had quashed permission granted to MSRDC to set up a casting yard at Juhu, observing that it would adversely affect the coastal stretch.
Punit Garg, CEO, Reliance Infrastructure, said. “We are confident of implementing the project on a fast-track basis to serve all Mumbaikars and remain a committed partner in Mumbai’s infrastructure transformation.”