Vashi bridge may hit fund roadblock

Mumbai: The plans to construct a new Vashi bridge might be delayed as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is not inclined to spare funds for it.
The state government, which is keen on getting the MMRDA to finance the cost of a new bridge that will run parallel to the existing Vashi bridge, might be forced to find another source of funding.
MMRDA officials said that they are strapped with the task of putting up large projects like the Mumbai Metro and the monorail in the city and might find it difficult to spare funds for the new bridge.
Moreover, the bridge is being planned to cater to the traffic that will be covered by the proposed Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, which is going to come up at a cost of over Rs 8,800 crore. The idea was to have another bridge next to the existing four-lane Vashi bridge, to serve the Panvel area that is set to see tremendous growth. The bridge is to be built by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
The state government is keen on the project as in the next decade, Panvel will be an important area for the city’s expansion with the new airport coming up nearby and several other projects taking off in the vicinity.
However, MMRDA officials explained that their funds come from sale of their land in the Bandra Kurla Complex. However, this source is bound to dry up and finding funds for city projects is set to become a problem.
MMRDA officials said they are strapped with the task of putting up large projects like the Mumbai Metro and monorail and may find it difficult to spare funds for the new bridge.