BMC to build at least 7 jetties for coastal road construction

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will construct a minimum of seven jetties along the coast to transport raw materials for the ambitious coastal road.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will construct a minimum of seven jetties along the coast to transport raw materials for the ambitious coastal road.

According to a senior official, the civic body prefers a water route for construction materials as this won’t affect traffic. The 33.2-km road, aimed at reducing traffic congestion in the city, will stretch from Princess Street to Kandivli.

It has been divided into seven sections or ‘packages’. An official said that at least one jetty will be built for every section to procure construction material from Navi Mumbai and Alibaug. However, the dimensions and locations of the jetties have not yet been specified.

A senior civic official closely associated with the project said, “This is the best possible way to prevent any inconvenience to citizens.”

Recently, the BMC issued a global ‘expression of interest’ for four sections, specifying the nature of the work, cost estimation, qualification criteria and various guidelines. These four sections are: Priyadarshini Park to Baroda Palace, Baroda Palace to Worli end, Bandra end to Carter Road and Princess Street flyover to Priyadarshini Park.

To bag a contract a firm must be an autonomous financial institution, have a substantial annual average turnover, and no conflicts of interest. It should also have experience in building highways, sea walls and flyovers, and also in land reclamation. Under the BMC’s guidelines, the project can be joint venture of three global companies.

Officials said that the process is being undertaken to get opinions from global companies on the project. The BMC will also hold a pre-bid conference next week with all interested companies. According to a senior civic official, the BMC has already received intimations from the Dutch and British governments, and companies from Belgium, China and Korea.