Mumbai: The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) opened the financial bids for the Metro-4 packages on Monday. The overall lowest bid is around 1.36% less than MMRDA’s estimated cost of around Rs2,100 crore for four packages. If the MMRDA’s executive committee gives a go-ahead to the works, then it is likely to be awarded to Reliance-Astaldi and Tata Projects-China Harbour Engineering Company (TPL-CHEC), both joint ventures.
“We should start the soil-testing in March and full-fledged work in April. There will be barricades on EEH and LBS Marg and traffic diversions will be in place,” Pravin Darade, additional metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said.
The barricading on EEH will start from Suman Nagar flyover in Chembur till the Ghatkopar exit near Garodia Nagar, further connecting to LBS Marg. It will then go up to Mulund check naka entering Thane and connecting Majiwada, Kapurbawdi, Manpada and Kasarvadavali. Motorists are already facing snarls owing to the works on the Amar Mahal flyover on the EEH.
The Metro-4 corridor (Wadala-Thane-Kasarvadavali) will be a 32.32-km stretch with 32 stations and it will be fully elevated. It is estimated to cost around Rs14,549 crore. The MMRDA is also planning an extension to Metro-4 till South Mumbai which will be partly underground.
The MMRDA had re-invited bids for the Metro-4 packages in November, as it received bids that were 25% higher than its own estimates in the first round. Darade also said the planning authority has benefited by re-inviting bids this time.
