Mumbai: Madh-Versova bridge project gets environmental nod

Mumbai, Oct 15 (PTI) The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has granted in-principle environmental clearance for the proposed Madh-Versova Bridge in Mumbai, a project estimated to cost around Rs 2,400 crore, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday.

The approval came after the Maharashtra government sent its recommendations to the Centre, Goyal, MP from Mumbai North constituency, said in a statement.

The bridge was first proposed in the 1967 Development Plan, and Goyal followed it up consistently, it said.

The Maharashtra government under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), is coordinating efforts to ensure its time-bound implementation, the statement added.

The bridge is expected to reduce travel time between Madh Island and Versova in western Mumbai from about 90 minutes to five minutes by bringing down the distance from 22 km to 1.5 km. The bridge will provide a direct road link, removing the need for long detours or ferry services.

It will be integrated with the upcoming Versova-Bhayandar Coastal Road.

Goyal said the bridge is part of a wider connectivity plan that includes the Dahisar-Bhayandar Coastal Road, a Rs 2,200 crore project for bridges and road widening in the Malad area, and the Thane-Borivali twin tunnel.

The statement noted that the bridge's cable-stayed design aims to minimise environmental disturbance by reducing the number of supporting pillars in sensitive coastal areas. The reduction in travel time is also expected to lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

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