Terming it a “dream project” of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the 1.17-minute video by the state BJP states, “The touch of ‘Vikas Dev’ is turning Mumbai into a city of gold.” However, the Maharashtra authorities has not but introduced the inauguration of the bridge — a undertaking that had been occurring for many years. Visiting the MTHL in June this 12 months, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Fadnavis had pushed a car on its deck.

According to MMRDA officers, a number of parts of the undertaking which are essential to make the stretch match for vehicular visitors are but to be fastened and that it might be troublesome to fulfill the December-25 deadline.They stated whereas the deck work is usually full, package deal 4 of the undertaking, which includes establishing of the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) that features Toll and Transport Management System and Equipment Installation are, is but to be full and was unlikely to fulfill the December 25 deadline. The tender for establishing these techniques was given in April this 12 months.

Deck work, which incorporates asphalting and waterproofing, can also be pending however officers stated that that might be accomplished within the subsequent few days. “While we are in a position to complete the civil work by December, the technological systems that are vital for the project will take some more time,” a senior MMRDA official stated on situation of anonymity.

The thought of a connector linking the Island City of Mumbai to the mainland was first proposed in 1962 in a research titled “Planning of Road System for Mumbai Metropolitan Region”. The thought was to arrange infrastructure that might assist in the higher financial integration of Mumbai island with Navi Mumbai and prolonged areas of Pune, Goa, Panvel and Alibaug.

It took the Maharashtra authorities near 34 years to provoke a feasibility report of the
undertaking in 1994. The undertaking was caught in bureaucratic information for an additional decade earlier than the research was up to date in 2004 and tenders referred to as in 2006.

In 2017, the undertaking was revived with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) – the nodal company for establishing the undertaking — signing an settlement with Japan International Cooperation Agency, which is offering growth mortgage help for the Rs 18,000-crore undertaking. Work on the undertaking started in April 2018, and was anticipated to be accomplished by mid-2023.

The Indian Express had reported final week that whereas the federal government is eager on opening the undertaking, questions are being raised over its efficacy within the absence of ample visitors dispersal roads to make sure easy visitors circulate from the bridge.