VBSL project hits milestone as road deck work begins; one-third civil work complete

The Versova-Bandra Sea Link project in Mumbai has achieved a major milestone with the first pre-cast segments launched for road deck work, now one-third complete.

Mumbai: The Versova-Bandra Sea Link (VBSL) project has crossed a major construction milestone with the first batch of pre-cast concrete segments being sailed into the Arabian Sea for the start of road deck work. Officials said the 17-km project, executed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), has reached about one-third completion.

VBSL project hits milestone as road deck work begins; one-third civil work complete

The sea link will connect Seven Bungalows near Versova with Bandra Reclamation and forms part of the government’s larger plan to create seamless coastal connectivity along Mumbai’s western shore. Once the full coastal road network is completed, commuters will be able to travel signal-free from Marine Drive to Palghar.

According to an official connected with the project, some of the first pre-cast segments manufactured in Bandra were moved out to sea earlier this week. These concrete segments are cast off-site and later assembled sequentially to create the bridge deck and girders, helping speed up construction compared to traditional in-site casting methods.

Similar technology has been used in projects such as the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu), the Mumbai-Pune Expressway missing link, the JJ Flyover and sections of the Mumbai Coastal Road.

Last month, Hindustan Times had reported that MSRDC received environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone clearances from the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change for proposed modifications and expansion of the project. Documents accessed by Hindustan Times showed the project cost escalating by nearly 60%, from ₹11,332.82 crore to ₹18,120.96 crore.

The project’s ground work commenced in 2018 and is slated for completion by December 2028.