5.11.08

Mumbai Trans Harbour Link update

In a bid to ensure better connectivity, with the proposed international airport at Navi Mumbai and the growth centers in Raigad district, the state government is planning a monorail route on the Mumbai Trans Harbor Link (MTHL). Work on the 22-kilometer long MTHL, which will connect Sewri in mainland Mumbai to Nhava across the creek, is due to begin on January 26 next year, and senior state government officials said that a lot of thought is being given on whether the civil structure for a monorail route could be incorporated in the design of the bridge.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has already set in motion the process for the first monorail service between Jacob Circle in Central Mumbai to Wadala and from there to Chembur in the eastern suburbs. Officials said the same route could be extended across the creek from Wadala. They added that there were technical problems in incorporating the design for a metro railway in the Rs 8,000 crore, eightlane MTHL, as the resonance and vibrations caused by the comparatively heavier metro were not suitable to the present design of the bridge. “Minor modifications in the foundation and pillar (of the MTHL) can accommodate the monorail on the divider,” said the official, adding that the issue was discussed with engineers including officials of the company which was involved in the monorail work.
It would be easier to integrate the monorail in the MTHL design rather than set up a separate link across the creek for the purpose, said the official, pointing out that though airports in China and Malaysia were located far from the city centers, they were linked with them through rapid mass transit systems. The pillars of the MTHL could be strengthened for accommodating the civil structure of the monorail. Private parties could be invited to set up and operate the rolling stock on the monorail route through a build operate transfer (BOT) basis.
The issue may be explained in the pre- bid process of the MTHL and the concerned parties would be asked to give their commercial bids accordingly.
In June, the state cabinet sub- committee on infrastructure had decided that the work on the sea link would be undertaken by the government itself without public private partnership.
The cable stayed MTHL will also save 15 kilometer and two hours of commuting time. The 4,400 square kilometer MMR, which had a 16 million population in 2001, is expected to see the numbers rise to 24 million by 2021.
By 2015, the Vashi bridge which connects Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, is expected to see a traffic of 1.90 lakh passenger car units (PCU) daily without the MTHL. The MSRDC estimates that by 2015, the MTHL may see traffic of 55,000 PCU without the SEZ and international airport and 68,000 with the SEZ and airport. The Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (ILFS) estimates this traffic to be 62,000 PCU and the REL lead consortium estimates it to be 76,000. The MSRDC estimates that by 2011, the traffic on the MTHL will be 46,580 PCU per day. The state also plans to link the MTHL and the Eastern Freeway through an approach road.

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