’World’s most delayed project’ delayed further

Despite World Bank snub last year, MMRDA has missed yet another deadline for the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road and has asked for its seventh extension

'World's most delayed project' delayed further

Despite World Bank snub last year, MMRDA has missed yet another deadline for the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road and has asked for its seventh extension

UNFAZED by the World Bank calling the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) the most delayed road project in the world last year, the MMRDA has, once again, missed the project's June 15 deadline and has approached the international body for an extension. If the extension is granted, it will be the project's seventh since it began in 2004.

The important arterial road connecting the Western Express Highway to the Eastern Express Highway is being constructed using World Bank funds under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project and was supposed to have been ready in 2008. Its cost has also swelled five times to Rs 550 crore from the initial projected cost of
Rs 110 crore.

Since the road will pass over railway tracks in many places, the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is also involved in the project.

In February, the MRVC, too, had sought a six-month extension for the completion of the rail components the Virar car shed, railway bridges and the 5th and 6th lines between Kurla and Thane.

The total length of the SCLR will be 6.45 km. It will start from Dr Hans Bhugra junction on the Western Express Highway in Santacruz, skirt the Mumbai University campus at Kalina on its south and meet the Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Marg across the Mithi River Bridge.

Thereafter, it will follow the existing SG Barve Marg for about 150 meters, beyond which a new road is proposed through slums and across the Mumbai-Kalyan Central Railway (Main) line.

The SCLR will then move close to the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and run parallel to the Harbour Line before meeting the Eastern Express Highway at the Amar Mahal junction in Chembur.

The Other Side
While sources in the MMRDA told MiD DAY that the project would not be completed before March 2012 at the earliest, MMRDA Joint Project Director Dilip Kawatkar said, "MMRDA has successfully carried out the rehabilitation of Project Affected Persons and we are confident of completing the project as soon as possible.
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We have not received any communication regarding our request for an extension from the World Bank but we are expecting them to consider and approve the request." Railway officials could not be reached for comment.

Did you know?
Roberto Zagha, World Bank Country Director, had called the SCLR the world's most delayed road project last year