The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has extended the deadline for bidders to make pre-qualification bids for construction of 9-km-long Bandra-Versova Sealink (BVSL) project.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has extended the deadline for bidders to make pre-qualification bids for construction of 9-km-long Bandra-Versova Sealink (BVSL) project.
The corporation has decided to give a one-month extension to bidders for submitting their proposals considering the complications involved in the construction.
The extension date of October 11 has been finalised on request of the bidders, who have sought more time from the corporation to frame their proposals, said Radheshyam Mopalwar, managing director, MSRDC.
“Bidders have asked for more time, given the challenging aspects involved in the project. There were around 14 companies who attended the pre-bid meeting for the project, and we expect a handful of global and domestic companies to bid for the project,” said Mr Mopalawar.
The sealink project was revived in March 2016 due to opposition from environmentalists and locals from Bandra and Juhu, as well as fishermen from the surrounding areas, to the idea of having a coastal road between Bandra and Versova. This was one of the reasons why the sealink project was revived, since in the case of a sealink, the bridge goes deep into the sea without the disturbing the existing infrastructure.
After several calculations, MSRDC has estimated traffic on the BVSL that will be around 45,000 vehicles per day and the revised project cost would be around Rs 7,500 crore for which we motorists will be charged toll for plying on the sealink.
The corporation, after getting clearances, had initiated the bidding process for the BVSL also known as the northward arm of the landmark BWSL, in March 2014 on a ‘design, build, finance, operate and transfer’ model. The bidding, however, was scrapped over uncertainty related to the project’s funding and again floated bids in August 2016.
