Infrastructure

MMRDA gets Nhava-Sewri linkBy our Editorial Bureau  April 08, 2011

The government's ambitious plan for building a sea link to connect Mumbai with the mainland got a push on Thursday. After procrastinating for three years, the state government has decided to ask the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to build the 22-km Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), which will link the city to Raigad district. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan made the announcement in the Legislative Council on Thursday.

Replying to a debate on the city’s infrastructure, Chavan said the MMRDA would now focus exclusively on infrastructure projects. “The MMRDA will implement the much-delayed MTHL project which connects Nhava Sheva to Sewri. It will also appoint engineering and financial consultants to assist it,” said Chavan.If everything goes as planned, work on the project will start by the end of 2012 and is likely to be completed in six years with a partial opening in four years.Interestingly, Chavan himself heads the MMRDA, which has been competing with the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to build the 22.5km sea bridge. However, Chavan’s coalition partner, the Nationalist Congress Party that runs the MSRDC, have been vocal against the MMRDA.In 2008, when the tender was first floated, there were two parties and the financial gap was huge and in 2009 the tender did not get response due to global recession, Chavan said while explaining the delay.Also, the feud between the government agencies added to the delay. In April 2010, the then chief minister Ashok Chavan had asked urban development secretary TC Benjamin to prepare a report on which agency should be given the project.Meanwhile, the MMRDA said that it will appoint a consultant to finalise a detailed project report. The development authority is looking at building the project on public-private partnership model.“We will float bids for the project by November and hopefully award the contract by March 2012,” metropolitan commissioner Rahul Asthana said

Tatas, GMR-L&T, 4 others in race for Trans-harbour link project

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MUMBAI: The much-delayed Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link moved a bit closer to reality today with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) saying that it has received six pre-qualification bids, involving 18 companies, for the Rs 8,800-crore ambitious bridge. 

The 18 companies that submitted six proposals, include the consortia led by Tata Realty & Infrastructure-Autostrade Indian Infrastructure Development-Vinci Concessions Development; GMRInfrastructure-L&T-Samsung C&T Corp; Gammon Infrastructure Projects-OHL Concessions-GS Engineering; IL&FS Transportation Networks-Unity Infrastructure-Navayuga Engineering Co-Rizzani DE Eccher spA; IRB Infrastructure Developers-Hyundai; and a consortium, led by Cintra-Soma-Srie. 

This development comes after 30 years since the project was first mooted. 

"We are really happy that the project will now head to fruition," MMRDA metropolitan commissioner Rahul Asthana said, adding the link will help the development of Navi Mumbai, Raigad district and the areas around. 

The Rs 8,800-crore Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link connects Sewri in the north-eastern part of the island city to Nhava in Navi Mumbai across the eastern bay. 

The 22-km-long link will have a 16.5-km bridge across Harbor and a 5.5-km long viaduct approaches on the Sewri and Nhava sides. 

Interchanges are proposed at Sewri to connect to the Eastern Freeway and at Chirle, to connect to the NH 4B, the MMRDA said, adding that once completed, the project will be the longest sea bridge in the country. 

The project will be implemented on a public-private partnership model, based on design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis. The Centre has agreed to offer 20 per cent of the project cost through a viability gap funding.

Welfare of flamingos will cost MMRDA Rs 300 crore moreBy: Ranjeet Jadhav   Date:  2012-03-21   Place: Mumba

i

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MMRDA will use the additional money to design a new alignment for the proposed MTHL sea link bridge, in order to protect the flamingos that visit

the Sewri mudflats

Soon after Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) received pre-qualification bids from six companies for the long-pending Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project, they will now spend money to protect the habitat of flamingos at Sewri mudflats. 

According to the earlier plan, the starting point of the bridge, Sewri, was envisaged at the ground level, but in order to protect the flamingos, MMRDA will now construct the bridge on piers, which is the new design. "As we will be constructing piers at the mudflats, the cost of the MTHL will go up by Rs 200-300 crore," said MMRDA Chief Engineer Sharad Sabnis.

For the flamingos: The design for the Rs 8,800-cr Mumbai Trans Harbour Link that connects Sewri in the island city to Nhava in Navi Mumbai will be built on piers to protect the flamingos that descend on the marshy mudflats in Sewri. file pics

The decision is crucial, as well-known environmental conservation body Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) is up in arms against the design of the sea link. They claim that the current design will destroy the haunt of the wading birds. Taking cognizance of their concerns, and the public popularity of the flamingos, Rahul Asthana, MMRDA commissioner, said "We have being saying from the beginning that we will take all precautionary measures to protect the migratory birds. The bridge will be planned in such a manner that it will not disturb the flamingos." 

When informed about the environmentalists' concerns, who may approach the courts over the issue of mangroves, which may hamper the construction, an MMRDA official said, " I don't think that anyone will approach the courts as we are willing to do the best to solve the issue of flamingos, so there won't be a delay in the MTHL project." 

"There will be some impact on the flamingos when the construction is ongoing, but once the work is completed

there won't be any problems for the birds," said the official. However, environmentalists are of the opinion that the new design too is likely to have an adverse impact on the ecology, especially the migratory birds. 

Environmentalist Anand Pendharkar, director of NGO Sprouts, said, "The construction of the MTHL sea link will adversely impact the population of the flamingos globally. When the actual construction starts, they will have to relocate to a new place. Already their habitat in Uran and Vasai has been destroyed, and so the flamingos will disperse to another location."

Trans-harbour link: Maharashtra govt ready to cover revenue gapPublished: Sunday, Aug 28, 2011, 16:20 IST Place: Mumbai | Agency: PTI

In an attempt to attract more bidders for the ambitious Rs10,000-crore Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) project connecting Sewri in the northeastern part of the island city with Nhava Sheva (JNPT Port area), the state government has proposed to cover the revenue risk of the build-operate-transfer (BOT) operator.

"We cannot take construction risk but we can definitely cover the revenue risk of the BOT operator. We plan to offer long, soft loan to the BOT operator and also compensate the second and third lowest bidders (L2 and L3 bidders) for the cost of bidding," MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority) Commissioner Rahul Asthana has said.

The government started the bidding process in 2004, but it has been unable to make any progress so far.

"This move will encourage more developers, including from overseas, to bid for the ambitious project. We believe that by the third quarter of 2012 we will be able to award the contract," Asthana said.

MMRDA, the nodal government agency for infrastructure development in the city, is also ready to compensate the BOT operator in the case of low toll collection against the projections, he said. "However, in the case of higher toll collection, the BOT operator needs to share benefits with MMRDA," he said.

MSRDC -- state road development body -- which was earlier handling the project, made several attempts to invite bids in 2004 on BOT basis, and in 2008 on a design-build-contract basis.

In June 2008, separate bids by the Ambani brothers had been found unrealistic. Reliance Industries had bid for a 75 year concession period, while the ADA Group quoted only a 10-year concession period. A cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure had then recommended scrapping of the public-private-partnership model and executing the project on a cash contract basis. As many as 13 companies showed interest, but did not submit bids.

In 2009, government decided to implement the project on a PPP model under viability gap funding scheme of Centre for which an in-principle approval from the Cente was received in April 2009. State administration recently handed over the mandate of the project to MMRDA.

The MTHL, which will connect Sewri to Nhava Sheva in Raigad district across the creek, is aimed at developing the mainland and reducing the pressure on Mumbai.

The project consists of construction of a six-lane road-cum metro bridge. It will be then extended to the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport, near the JNPT port near Panvel.

MTHL to be instrumental in horizontal expansion of Mumbai

Monday, August 08, 2011 

Mumbai Trans-harbour link (MTHL), the 22-km creek bridge - from the sea front at Sewri to Chirle,

connecting NH-4B - is certain to provide much easier connectivity to the city of Mumbai and also

expected to offer economical growth to the whole of Raigad District and its surrounding areas.

 

The talk-of-the-town project had recently received overwhelming response for its techno-economic

feasibility study and the consortium of M/s Arup, Consulting Engineers and M/s KPMG has been

appointed as its offer was found to be lowest amongst the three agencies found eligible.

  

"Now that the consultants have been appointed we expect them to complete the techno-economic

study by October next year. While most of the work has already been done, we expect the

consultants to secure renewal of a few permissions and highlight other ground realities to pave way

for the actual construction of the project as per the schedule", said Rahul Asthana, Metropolitan

Commissioner, MMRDA.

 

The city, with its present population of over 12 million, generates about 14 million trips a day, with

about 88 per cent of the, trips catered to by the suburban railway and the public transport bus

services provided by Bombay Electricity Supply & Transport (BEST). 

The existing Suburban Rail Service carries about 6 million passengers every day, while the public

bus transport system carries about 4.5 million passengers every day. The linear geography of

Mumbai has also acted as a constraint in the horizontal expansion of the city resulting in further

congestion during the peak hours. MTHL is expected to be instrumental in horizontal expansion of

the city bursting in seams.

 

Project conception 

The alignment of the bridge was initially proposed by M/s Peter Frankel & Partners, UK in 1982 after

studying various alignment options including tunnels.

The alignment was shifted southwards in order to comply with BARC's requirement by the Expert

Committee appointed by Government of Maharashtra in 1984. This alignment was further modified

by CES to save mangroves on either side of the link, large skew crossings of submarine pipelines

and to satisfy the development plan finalized by the City and Industrial Development Corporation

Limited (CIDCO).

 

Project details 

The Project consists of construction of a 8-lane bridge across the deep sea through the Mumbai

Harbour and connects to local road networks through approaches / interchanges at both ends. The

interchange on Sewri side is proposed to be taken up separately and is not covered in this contract

while a trumpet interchange is proposed on mainland for dispersal of traffic to National Highway 4B.

The total length of the link will be 22 km.

Project benefits 

Navi Mumbai is also well connected through rail and road links with Pune, Nasik and Thane,

indicating the potential for the region to develop into a satellite city to Mumbai in a fashion similar to

the emergence of Gurgaon and Noida as satellites to New Delhi. CIDCO has prepared a master plan

for the development of Navi Mumbai. Current development covers only the northern half of Navi

Mumbai. The southern half is still untapped, principally because of the lack of easy access to

Mumbai city. The southern half of Navi Mumbai with over 2,500 hectares of land available for

housing presents an opportunity to decongest Mumbai. In this context, the proposed Mumbai Trans

Harbour Link (MTHL) connecting Sewri to Nhava Sheva is expected to be a catalyst of development

of the city by promoting horizontal growth as against the vertical growth experienced over the past

few years.

  

Project cost 

The estimated base construction cost of the project based on experiences of similar bridges in India

is approximately Rs. 40,000 million. This includes the cost of approaches, the bridge across the sea,

bridge furniture, ancillary structures, traffic surveillance, illumination and environmental mitigation

measures, toll plaza, parking, etc. It also covers charges on account of design, supervision, and

administration by MSRDC.

30-year evil spell on trans-harbour link endsPublished: Tuesday, Mar 20, 2012, 8:00 IST By DNA Correspondent | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

The long-pending Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) project moved a little closer to reality with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) saying that it has received six pre-qualification bids, involving 18 companies, for it.

Earlier, attempts to start the Rs8,800 crore project involving the construction of India’s longest sea bridge connecting the Island City with Navi Mumbai and Raigad have failed twice.

This development comes after 30 years since the project was first mooted.

The project was later handed over to the MMRDA from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited (MSRDC).

MMRDA commissioner Rahul Asthana said considering their past experience, they had tried to make the bidders comfortable about “reduction of risk” in terms of revenue and construction to get good bids for the MTHL.

“This is a giant step forward in terms of building the project, which has been hanging for decades,” said Asthana. The construction, which would take around five years, would start next year, he said.The MMRDA is also planning to award the construction contract by November.The project will get 40% viability gap funding (VGF) of which half will be given by the MMRDA and the rest by the Centre.

The MMRDA is also planning to give the concessioner a soft loan to the tune of 20% of the project cost. The project also has a real estate component.

The six-lane MTHL will have a 16.5km section in the sea and a 5.5 kilometre portion on land. It will connect Sewri in Central Mumbai to Chirle in Navi Mumbai.

It will provide better linkages to the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport, Pune, Goa, the growth centers in Raigad district, Konkan coastline and southern states.

It will also help movement of cargo from Mumbai Harbour and JNPT. The project, which will be executed through public private partnership (PPP), will have a concession period of 45 years, including the construction period, in which the company will collect toll.

The MTHL has claimed that the regional development project will seek to develop Navi Mumbai and the mainland as a counter magnet to decongest Mumbai.

The 18 companies that submitted six proposals, include the consortia led by Tata Realty & Infrastructure-Autostrade Indian Infrastructure Development-Vinci Concessions Development; GMR Infrastructure-L&T-Samsung C&T Corp; Gammon Infrastructure Projects-OHL Concessions-GS Engineering; IL&FS Transportation Networks-Unity Infrastructure-Navayuga Engineering Co-Rizzani DE Eccher spA; IRB Infrastructure Developers-Hyundai; and a consortium, led by Cintra-Soma-Srie.

Tatas, GMR-L&T in race for sea-link planThe Maharashtra government’s infrastructure arm Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) is the nodal agency for the project

Leslie D’monte

  

Mumbai: Six consortiums have pre-qualified for Maharashtra government’s ambitious Mumbai Trans

Harbour Link (MTHL) connecting Sewri in the island city of Mumbai and Nava-Sheva across the Thane

creek. The length of proposed sea link is 22 kilometers and estimated to cost around Rs. 8,800 crore.

The six consortiums are led by Tata Realty and

Infrastructure Ltd., GMR Infrastructure Ltd., Spanish

company Cintra S.A., IRB Infrastructure Developers

Ltd. and IL&FS Transportation Network Ltd.

The Maharashtra government’s infrastructure arm Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development

Authority (MMRDA), also the nodal agency for the project, aims to complete the tendering process by

the end of this year and start the work on project early 2013. It is expected that it will take five years

to complete the work after which, it will reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Pune by at least

one hour.

Sewri-Nhava Sheva sea link buoys real estate prices in 'Third Mumbai'Gouri Shah, TNN Dec 20, 2004, 11.55pm IST

The garish two-storey bungalows lining the sleepy roads of Uran Village are one indicator that the entry of an ONGC plant and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) have brought ample opportunities for the small fishing village in Raigad.

Things can only get better for the locals, as the clearance of the Rs 4,000-crore Sewri-Nhava Sheva project, a 22-km sea link connecting its neighbouring area to the mainland, has finally come through. The project will reduce the current road travel time of two hours from the mainland to as little as 30 minutes.

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Luxury Apartments ThaneLavish Balinese Lifestyle at Rumah Bali luxury apartments in Thanewww.puranikbuilders.comWhile a sharp rise in real estate prices is expected in the future, land developers are witnessing a peculiar phenomenon. The entire Panvel, Nhava Sheva, Uran belt, up to Alibaug has already started recording a 15-20% hike in real estate prices, and some areas such as Ulwe and Dronagiri near the JNPT, have seen a 100% jump in prices over the past year.

While some of this activity could be attributed to the need for affordable space near Mumbai city, real estate developers say that news of the proposed sea link is a major factor in spurring investment in the area.

"The proposal for the sea link has created great buying interest in the Panvel, Nhava-Sheva, Uran belt up to Alibaug, which is now being touted as the 'Third Mumbai,'" says Navi Mumbai-based developer Satish Hawre, CMD of Hawre Engineers & Builders.

In his opinion, this is largely because areas such as Vashi in Navi Mumbai, have already started commanding anywhere between Rs 10,000-30,000 per sq mt.

Revival of Mumbai Trans-Harbour LinkAUGUST 30, 2010

tags: infrastructure, MMRDA, MTHL, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link,Nhava Sheva, Sea Link, sewri, Sewri Nhava Sheva

link, Sewri-Nhava Sheva Trans Harbour Link, SEZ

by Manoj John

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will take over the biggest and most delayed infrastructure project — the Sewri-Nhava Sheva Trans Harbour Link. After decades of deliberation, and unsuccessful bid process by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation to get private participation, it is MMRDA’s mandate to organize for funds to construct MTHL.

It is now proposed to extend the 22km link planned to connect Sewri to Chirle village in Nhava, to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, by adding another 28kms. It will now join the Mumbai-Pune Expressway somewhere near Khopoli. The extension translates to about 500 Crores in expenses but would provide much better connectivity.

The masterplan for Navi Mumbai development has seen partial growth limited to the Northern part; the southern half is still untapped, principally because of the lack of easy access to Mumbai city. The southern half of Navi

Mumbai with over 2,500 hectares of land available for housing presents an opportunity to decongest Mumbai. In this context, the proposed Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) connecting Sewri to Nhava Sheva is expected to be a catalyst of development of the city by promoting horizontal growth as against the vertical growth experienced over the past few years.

MTHL is designed to have a Metro rail line along the multi-lane roadways, which may not be commissioned in the first phase of construction. The cumulative impact of this infrastructure project would benefit real estate development around origination zone in Sewri. The imminent advantages of being located near MTHL and hence faster reach to industrial units, SEZ, and Port will create demand for residential projects with associated commercial & retail components.

MMRDA bags Rs 11k cr project

Monday, April 11, 2011 

Our Mumbai Bureau

Finally the verdict is out. The high profile Mumbai Trans harbour link (MTHL) project which was

mired in several hurdles has been handed over to Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development

Authority (MMRDA). The link will connect Sewri in South Mumbai to Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai.

The MMRDA may face many hurdles in constructing the 22km sea link as the road passes through

the Karnala Bird Sanctuary. It is not clear whether the project will get clearance from the ministry of

environment and forests (MoEF).According to MMRDA officials, the project cost will now escalate to

Rs 11,000 crore, instead of about Rs 8,600 crore estimated earlier. The escalation in cost is due to

the additional 28-km stretch that is to be constructed to connect MTHL with the Mumbai-Pune

Expressway. The MMRDA was keen to bag this project, which is one of the biggest infrastructure

projects to be undertaken in the country.

Rahul Asthana, the newly appointed MMRDA commissioner had earlier named MTHL as the top

priority project, if MMRDA succeeds in bagging it. "If MMRDA is chosen for the task, it would bring in

immense pride and a huge responsibility to our shoulders," he added.

The project will be executed in three phases. Phase I will include construction of main bridge with 6

lane facility fromSewri to Nhava including approaches at grade near Sewri end, interchange at Nh4B

near Chirle village and underpasses at road and railway crossings. The length of MTHL road project

from Sewri to NH-4B is 22 km. Phase II will consist of dispersal system at Sewri connecting Eastern

Freeway and Acharya Donde Marg to MTHL. Phase III will see construction of Metro

rail link from Sewri to Nhava and from Nhava to MMSEZ area near Pen, to Panvel via proposed Navi

Mumbai International Airport and to Uran.

Mah Govt to build Nhava Sheva-Sewri sea link bridge on its ownWednesday, June 25, 2008, 18:06 [IST]

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Mumbai, Jun 25 (UNI) The State Cabinet sub-committee has scrapped a tender submitted by

consortium of AnilAmbani-led Reliance Energy for construction of the trans-harbour Nhava Sheva-

Sewri sea link project, and the Maharashtra government has decided to build the Rs 6,000 crore

ambitious project of six lanes, linking South Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, on its own.

State PWD Minister Anil Deshmukh today said the decision to this effect had to be taken due to the

''feud'' between the two Ambani brothers -- Mukesh and Anil, who had submitted their tenders for the

same bridge, but Anil's bid was the lowest. The matter had earlier reached the Supreme Court also.

He said the decision to scrap the bid and construct the project by the government itself was taken,

as a new bid process would have created the same problems.

Mr Deshmukh said in order to construct the bridge, a special purpose vehicle would be formed, with

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) at the helm of affairs. Other

organisations like Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA), MIDC and

CIDCO will also invest in the same.

He said the MSRDC has already started work from today. The proposal will be discussed with the

finance ministry and a proposal to this effect will be tabled before the Cabinet within a fortnight's

time.

It may be recalled that REL in its tender had submitted that it would collect the toll for nine years, 11

months and one day, while Mukesh Ambani-promoted Infrastructure Lease and Financial Services

(IL&FS) had sought 75 years time to collect the toll. 

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The PWD Minister said MSRDC has estimated 44 years as a time to collect the toll for the recovery

of the entire cost.

Road bodies vie for Trans Harbour link

Monday, March 07, 2011 

Competition between Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and Maharashtra State

Road Development Corporation will reduce metro tariff and toll rates for Mumbai Trans Harbour Link.

The Congress and NCP leaders are likely to decide on who will get the ambitious Mumbai Trans

Harbour Link(MTHL) project, which is a 21 km Nhava-Sewri sea link. Both the agencies presented

their projects by Wednesday.

The MSRDC's has proposed a toll of Rs 205 for a one-way journey. The plan outlines a unique

double-decker structure which will have the road above and the Metro running below. It has pegged

the cost of the project at Rs 8,000 crore and a toll recovery period of 45-50 years. It has also

proposed a 15% increase in toll tax every year. The MMRDA, on the other hand, has said it will build

the bridge-with six lanes for vehicles and two for the Metro-at the cost of Rs 8,311 crore and will take

45 years to recover the money through toll collections. The MMRDA has priced the toll between Rs

105 -Rs 210.