MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) on Tuesday cleared a proposal for the expansion of the Bandra-Versova Sea Link’s Juhu and Versova connectors. The project, which is being built by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), is 30% complete and expected to be operational by May 2028.

A senior MSRDC officer told Hindustan Times that the Versova connector would now come up to Juhu Circle instead of Nana Nani Park while the Juhu connector would end at Juhu’s Relief Road instead of Juhu Tara Road. “This is being done to avoid traffic congestion in the area,” he said. “Besides, a navigational span of 120 metres will be installed at the Juhu connector for fishermen.”

The proposal submitted by MSRDC to MCZMA says that the extension of the Juhu connector towards the Western Express Highway (WEH) will make for better traffic disbursal. Further, there will be an extension of the Versova connector with one cable-stayed bridge towards WEH for better traffic disbursal as well as to minimise the impact on mangroves and reduce traffic congestion at the earlier proposed connector end. The proposal also says that to meet the demands of local fishermen, there will be a relocation of one navigational span (120 metres) on the main alignment and the addition of a new navigational span of 120 metres on the Juhu connector.

According to the proposal, MSRDC would have earlier required 1.37 hectares of forest land but will now require 4.36 hectares. The project will require 17.98 hectares of non-forest land. A total of 178 trees will be cut for expansion.

There has been a huge delay in the construction of the Versova-Bandra sea link. The length of the sea link is approximately 9.8 km with intermediate dispersal points at Juhu and Carter Road. The project would have cost ₹11,332.82 crore and will now cost ₹18,120.96 crore, a cost escalation of ₹6,788.14 crore.