Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link: MMRDA To Hire Expert To Assist For Emergencies

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has begun the process of hiring an expert who will be able to provide emergency assistance, to rescue vehicles, and ambulances, as well as manage their operations on the upcoming Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL).

In memory of the late Indian Prime Minister, the sea link is named "Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri Nhava Sheva Atal Setu". It is expected to greatly improve infrastructure development in previously underserved areas of Navi Mumbai and Raigad district.

Potential service providers are invited to submit competitive bids in response to a tender issued by the MMRDA. According to an MMRDA official, once the sea link opens to traffic, the MMRDA plans to deploy three firefighting and rescue vehicles and two ambulances to respond promptly to any emergencies or untoward incidents. The deadline for interested parties to submit their proposals is December 5, 2023. The bids will open on December 6, 2023.

The contract is for a period of seven years. The MMRDA stipulates that in order for a bidder to be considered for the tender, they need to provide a bank guarantee of INR 10 lakh.

Furthermore, the MMRDA has mandated that bidders should have a proven track record of providing fire and rescue emergency services to public, government, or semi-government organizations for a minimum of five years.

Additionally, bidders must show an average turnover of INR 54 crore over the last three years, as well as experience executing comparable projects such as deploying a minimum of four to five rescue vehicles on a six-lane highway or the motorway.

The MTHL project, which is expected to cost INR 18,000 crore, spans 21.8 kilometers, 16 of which are above sea level. The sea link's alignment begins at Sewri in South Mumbai and ends at Chirle in Raigad district.

The distance between Sewri and Chirle right now is 52 kilometers. The project is said to be more than 96% accomplished, and it is scheduled to open to traffic early next year.

In the event of an emergency, the staff members manning the bridge will assist the vehicles in making a U-turn thanks to the moving dividers placed every 30 meters along the bridge. Around 1,089 hybrid 1,550 mm crash barriers are being used as pillars for the construction of the sea bridge.

In order to draft a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Versova-Virar Sea Link's extension to Palghar, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority made a decision to hire a consultant.

The Versova-Virar Sea Link, which will provide connectivity between Nariman Point and Palghar, is proposed to be built at a cost of INR 63,426 crore. The MMRDA approved the project in March.

An MMRDA official stated that the DPR will help map the alignment and connectors that need to be built along this route. Commuters traveling between South Mumbai and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway, which has a 1.25 lakh passenger car unit (PCU) traffic density, will be able to avoid bypassing interior roads, thanks to this sea link bridge.