Friday, September 29 2006 11:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Maharashtra Government yesterday (Sept 28, 2006) accorded administrative approval to the Rs 6192 crore Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd link of the ambitious Mumbai Metroproject.

This was announced by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh after a meeting of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in suburban Bandra here yesterday.

"MMRDA has decided to invite international tenders forthis project which will be awarded on a Build, Own, Operateand Transfer (BOOT) basis," an MMRDA official said.

MMRDA has been authorized to participate with a 26 per cent equity in the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to be floated for the Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd Metro link.

MMRDA today resolved to recommend that the viability gap of Rs 1658 crore be borne by the State Government. The SPV shall enter into an agreement with MMRDA for 35 years of which 5 years would be construction period. The project is envisaged to be completed by year 2011.

"The approval to the 32 km long Charkop-Bandra-Kurla route accorded today incorporates some changes," the official said.

"Accordingly, the majority of the portion of this route would be elevated compared to the underground portion," he added.

"The Mumbai Metro Railway project comprises of nine different lines of which three are to be taken in phase I. The tenders of the first line of Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar, have been awarded on BOOT principle and the construction work will commence shortly," the official said.

The Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd line connects the western and eastern suburbs through the 31.87 km elevated route. The alignment starts at Charkop and then goes to Link Road, linking road, up to Bandra parallel to the western railway route.

It then crosses the western express highway, turns east, and crosses the western railway and Mahim creek. Moving eastward it goes on the main road of Bandra-Kurla Complex, crosses LBS Road, near Kurla station then goes to Barve road before finally reaching Mankhurd.

This route will have 27 stations and the line will travel at a height of 5 to 12 metres above the ground level. Some of the stations would be Charkop, Malad, Kasturi Park, Bangur Nagar, Oshiwara, Samarth Nagar, Shastri Nagar, D.N.Nagar, J.V.P.D, Juhu, Vile Parle, Khar, Bandra, MMRDA, Bharat Nagar, Complex Road, Kurla, Barve Road, Shivaji Square, BSNL, Mankhurd.

The Metro line would have interaction with present suburban rail network at few points namely Charkop, Bandra, Kurla and Mankhurd. At Kurla the Metro station will come up above the present Kurla station.