Versova Locals Stuck In Traffic Snarls As Rs 18,120 Crore Sea Link Project Takes Off

With the start of construction of the Juhu-Versova Link Road for the Bandra-Versova Sea Link (BVSL), residents of Versova and Four Bungalows in Andheri West, who already have to contend with dug-up roadways, must prepare for much worse traffic congestion.

According to a representative of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), barricades have been erected on the road as part of the geotechnical work for the connector’s construction, which will begin at the Juhu-Versova Link Road and proceed towards the Versova end of the sea link. We will make sure that the work is done in a way that causes the least amount of disruption to drivers on the Juhu-Versova Link Road.

Barricades had been erected along the road’s median on Monday as our correspondent travelled the section. This stretch is likely to have a traffic bottleneck when the actual construction work starts. Due to continuing concrete work at the Seven Bungalows, Four Bungalows, and Juhu-Versova Link Road, residents have been complaining about traffic.

According to an official involved in the BVSL project, about 25% of the project’s civil construction is finished, and because the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) recently granted some project-related clearances, the work will go more quickly.

The MSRDC proposed several changes, according to the minutes of the most recent MCZMA meeting in December 2024. These included moving two navigational spans on the main alignment and adding two new 12O-meter navigational spans on the Juhu connector, bifurcating and extending the Versova connector using a cable-stayed bridge for better traffic disbursal (to minimise impacts on mangroves and reduce traffic congestion at earlier proposed connector end), and extending the Juhu connector towards the Western Express Highway for better traffic disbursal.

The BVSL project now costs Rs 18,120 crore instead of the R11,332 crore that was approved in 2018. The relocation of a casting yard from Juhu to Malad, together with improvements to lighting and aesthetics, are responsible for the rise.

After the BVSL is finished, the present 45–60 minute travel time between Bandra and Versova would be eliminated. Indirect benefits of the project include lower car maintenance costs, environmental benefits, increased land appreciation, more job opportunities, and improved mental health for drivers, according to MSRDC officials.

The BVSL includes a cable-stayed bridge, a 2.25-kilometer (2+2 lane) connector at Bandra, a 2.57-kilometer (3+3 lane) connector at Carter Road, a 4.5-kilometer (2+2 lane) connector at Juhu, and a 4.29-kilometer connector at Versova.

Source: Mid-day

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