The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced plans to build a high-speed road corridor connecting Versova with Dahisar to ease the movement of traffic between north and south Mumbai. This 24.29-kilometre arterial road called the Versova-Dahisar Link Road (VDLR) is the second phase of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP).
The road originates from the Lokhandwala interchange where the proposed Bandra-Versova Sea Link Road (BVSLR) is supposed to end, and will provide further connectivity towards the north. This high-speed corridor is set to revolutionize travel in Mumbai, reducing travel time by 70%. This will ease traffic on the Link Road, the SV Road and the Western Express Highway– the only options to travel between south and north Mumbai currently. The VDLR will also reduce the carbon footprint and help the city get closer to achieving its sustainability goals.
The VDLR will be constructed in four different packages, consisting of underground tunnels and elevated bridges. The first package will extend to 4.5 km and will include a basket bridge, elevated roads, and an arterial road built on stilts. This phase will connect the VBSL interchange in Versova to Lokhandwala. The second phase will be 7.48 km long and will connect Lokhandwala with Mindspace on Goregaon, featuring an elevated road and a cable-stayed bridge.
The third phase will extend up to 5.32 km and will link Mindspace with Charkop and include an open-to-sky ramp and an underground tunnel extending between Charkop and Malad. Finally, the last phase will be 6.95 km long and will feature a basket bridge, an arterial road, and a cable-stayed bridge.
The project’s final plan is ready, and BMC plans to start building the first tunnel this year. It’s a big project, costing Rs 9,980 crore and taking six years to finish. Currently, the first phase of MCRP is nearing completion and according to BMC data, 75% of the construction work has been completed. The first phase of the project will extend up to 10.58 km and will connect Nariman Point in the southernmost tip of Mumbai with Bandra-Worli-Sea Link (BWSL).
