In a rarity, cost of elevated road project is down 40%

Now, with the lowest bidder, JKumar Infraprojects, having quoted a price much lower than the estimated costs after the design changes, the price tag of the 1.6-km connector has dropped further to Rs 155.7 crore.

An MMRDA official who did not wish to be named said three of the five bidders for the project had quoted an amount below the estimated cost.

U P S Madan, metropolitan commissioner at the MMRDA, said, “The work has been awarded and we are ready. We have already had talks with the Central Railway for a clearance to build an over-bridge at the railway tracks near Chunabhatti station. At the railway’s insistence, we will also connect the internal roads there to close an existing railway crossing. Simultaneously, we have applied for a Coastal Regulation Zone clearance. We will do the preparatory work over the next two months and start construction post monsoon.”

To add to the list of achievements that the Congress is publicising in the field of infrastructure development, the state government has been trying to conduct a bhoomipujan for the project before the model code of conduct for the Assembly polls kicks in.

The elevated road has been planned to make the business district of BKC more accessible from the eastern suburbs, Navi Mumbai and Thane and thus reduce congestion on the Sion-Dharavi Link Road and the Kalanagar junction.

At present, it takes over 30 minutes to travel from the Eastern Express Highway in Sion to the Bandra Kurla Complex. The elevated road, which will take approximately three years to build once construction starts, will cut this travel time to around five minutes.

The road will go over the Mahim Nature Park, LBS Marg, cross railway lines half-a-kilometre north of Sion station and over the Chunabhatti railway crossing.

manasi.phadke@expressindia.com