The Salt Commissioner has handed over a land parcel of 9.86 hectares for the Vasai-Bhayandar Creek Bridge project. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is building a 6-lane bridge to reduce travel time between Vasai and Bhayander by around 45 minutes.
The Creek Bridge initially proposed in 2019 and the construction began in 2020. The MMRDA is expected to finish the project by September 2024.
The MMRDA has floated the tenders with an estimated cost of Rs 1,501.16 crore. The proposed length of the bridge is about 4.98 kilometers and the breadth is 30.60 meters. Each lane will be of 5 kilometer.
A report is expected to be drafted in order to deal with potential traffic congestion once the bridge becomes operational. Stoop Consultants, a private entity has been brought onboard for the evaluation. The Vasai-Bhayandar Creek Bridge will serve as an extension of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP).
“The entire bridge will be over water except the entry-exit points that will be accessed via road,” said a senior MMRDA official. Around 7.76 hectares of salt pan land will be required for the project, 2.44 hectares of which are situated in Bhayandar and a hectare is located in Naigaon.
The development authority had submitted a proposal for the transfer of the salt pan land with the proposal pending evaluation by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), which is a central government organisation.
(Image credits: Image: Chandrashekhar Dhage on Twitter)