3 roads from city to lead to Versova sea link

MUMBAI: From October, work is likely to begin on extending the Bandra-worli Sea Link up to Versova. Once done, the Versovabandra Sea Link (VBSL) will bring down to 15 minutes the travel time from Worli, in south Mumbai, to Versova, in the western suburbs — a journey that currently takes more than an hour.

And, to ensure fewer jams at the points where vehicles enter and exit this new sea link, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has proposed three connectors, senior MSRDC officials said. The connectors will improve accessibility to the sea link from key roads within the city, said Radheshyam Mopalwar, the vice

chairman and managing director, MSRDC. The first such connector will run between Bandstand in Bandra and VBSL. Currently, motorists can use only the Bandra-worli sea link to avoid traffic while travelling between south Mumbai and the

western suburbs.

The other two connectors will link the Western Express Highway (WEH), which ferries a major chunk of the city’s traffic, to the sea link. One would take off from Juhu-koliwada area and connect the WEH via the Milan

WORLI

BANDRA

CARTER RD

flyover. The other would connect Nana Nani Park in Versova with WEH, near the Bisleri factory in Andheri (East) via CD Barfiwala Road. “MSRDC has appointed Louis Berger Group to make a detailed plan for the connectors,” Mopalwar said. “It will be built JUHU KOLIWADA NANA NANI PARK, VERSOVA along with the VBSL.”

Senior MSRDC officials said the connectors could either be at ground level, or elevated, depending on the available width of the road.

CONTINUED ON P 10 ››RELATED REPORT, P2