Written by Pratip AcharyaOctober 16, 2025 06:52 PM IST 4 min readConstruction is expected to begin by year-end, with completion targeted in three years while minimizing environmental impact.The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) Wednesday gave in-principle approval to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for constructing the Rs 2,395 crore cable-stayed bridge that will connect Versova to Madh. The announcement of the key clearance was made by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and MP from Mumbai (North).The clearance from the MoEFCC was required as the project will pass through large hectares of mangrove patches.The project is set to bring down commute time between Versova and Madh Island to not more than 10 minutes, which at present takes 45 minutes to an hour during peak hour. Since there is no direct connectivity between these two places, citizens either have to travel via Link Road, SV Road or Western Express Highway (WEH).“This bridge will form a direct connectivity between Madh Island and Versova, removing the need for long detours and ferry services. To meet the future traffic needs, the bridge will be integrated with the upcoming coastal road that will connect Versova with Bhayander,” Goyal said by issuing a statement.Goyal also said that the project was envisioned in the 1967 Development Plan (DP), and his office has been pursuing the project to ensure all the permissions come through.The tenders for this project were floated in March last year, and the work orders were issued in September. The final cost of the project has been pegged at Rs 2,395 crore, which was 33 per cent above the estimated cost of Rs 1,800 crore. When contacted, civic officials maintained that the estimated cost was updated, keeping in mind the change in market rates, and also several factors like labour charges, material costs and Goods and Services Tax (GST) were included in the final cost of the project.Civic officials said now that all the major permissions are in place, the next step will be to approach the Bombay High Court since the project will pass above creeks and mangroves.Story continues below this ad“The bridge will pass above the Marve creek, which falls under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) area. Therefore, we have to inform the HC about the green cover that will be impacted and present our Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. We have already secured permission from the forest department and the state coastal management authority. After the final NOC comes from the HC, we will go ahead with the construction work,” an official said.The blueprint of this project was finalised by BMC in 2020. Since the alignment of this project had to pass through a dense mangrove cover and coastal regulatory zone, the civic body required environmental clearances.Later, in March 2022, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) had asked BMC to come up with an alternate alignment for this bridge, to ensure minimum damage to the mangroves.The previous blueprint was also opposed by the local Koli community, which alleged that the alignment would create an inconvenience for them while parking their boats and drive away the fish from the shallow water, affecting their livelihood in return.Story continues below this ad“The new alignment ensures minimum damage to the environment, and the bridge will be entirely cable-stayed, which means that we will carry out piling work at a limited capacity,” the official added.The authorities aim to start work on the bridge by the year-end and have set a three-year deadline for completing the project.The bridge will be 2.06 km long and will be a cable-stayed structure. It will connect Madh Island in the western suburbs with Versova by passing above the Madh Creek.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:BMCVersova