Mumbai Trans Harbor Link, the six-lane bridge that will connect south Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, will be operational in about six years, Rahul Asthana, commissioner, Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA), said on Wednesday.

MMRDA will allot the contract to build the. 12,000-crore bridge by September 2012 and construction work will take about 54 months, he said. The bridge will connect south Mumbai to Pune Expressway and also connect to the new international airport being built in Navi Mumbai. MMRDA plans to build the bridge through public-private participation (PPP). However, if private players do not take part in the project, MMRDA will go ahead with construction work, Mr Asthana said.

A government agency will have to pump in 20% of the investment —about . 2,400 crore — to take care of the viability gap and MMRDA is willing to spend the amount, he said. With a metro rail corridor being built along with the bridge, the viability gap is expected to increase.

MMRDA will apply for environment clearance for the bridge, which was once allotted earlier but has now expired.

MMRDA plans to acquire land on both sides of the bridge to set up casting yards and is in talks with Mumbai Port Trust and CIDCO

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MMRDA has also proposed to extend the underground portion of the Metro 3 project and is awaiting a decision in a few days, he said. Metro 3, which will connect Colaba to Versova, was initially planned to run underground till Mahalaxmi.

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Economic Times, May 26, 2011 -Page 3