MSRDC extends ₹21,000-cr sea-link project to Virar

In order to avoid complexities such as heavy damage to the coastal environment and human habitation during or after its construction of the project, MSRDC has planned to extend the upcoming Bandra-Versova sea link up to Virar, via Charkop and Vasai, from a km into the sea, instead of building it along the coast. The construction cost of the project is pegged at ₹21,000 crore as the eight-lane 57.8-km link aims to reduce travel time by one-and-a-half hours, during peak hours, said MD, MRSDC, Radhyesham Mopalwar. He added that he has rejected the option by consultants of building the link as a coastal road abutting the sea, or as a road on stilts above mangroves jutting the coast in order to minimize damage to the marine ecosystem, such as mangroves, creeks and coastal habitations, including fishermen's villages and hamlets, as land acquisition will be minimal. The link will have interchanges at Charkop, Uttan, Vasai and Virar, which will make the link's distance for construction purposes to 84-km when raedy by 2026. But a one-way toll for a car travelling from Versova to Virar will be around ₹1,000. The decision to go for a sea link was based on options given by Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE) in its pre-feasibility report ordered by the government via MSRDC in 2019.