Mumbai: BMC Pushes Bidding Deadline For The Proposed 5-Km-Long Dahisar-Bhayandar Elevated Link Road To Address Bidders' Queries

The BMC has extended the bidding deadline of the tender for construction of the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road (DBLR) by two weeks.

The last tender for the project was floated in October 2022 — for which the bidding process was to end on 10 March 2023.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) extended the same by two weeks to 24 March as per officials, according to a report by Indian Express.

The DBLR, being a key infrastructure project with a cost estimate of Rs 3,186 crore, is receiving multiple queries raised by the bidders before submitting the bids.

The officials stated that, “Queries related to the design outlay and implementation of this project are being received continuously. The road will also pass through mangrove patches and creeks, which may require environmental clearances.

“Over the last few months, we have been receiving multiple queries from potential bidders and it is taking some time to reply to them all at once."

The official added, “Therefore, we decided to extend the deadline by two weeks, since it will give us some time to understand and answer their queries. If adequate number of bidders don’t submit bids, then the BMC may lose out a chance of comparing the price rates, resulting in financial loss. Also, not having enough bidders may delay the project, which may also lead to cost escalation,” reports IE.  

As per an earlier report by Free Press Journal, previously one company responded to the tender first invited in June 2022.

But on recommendations of consultants, the BMC decided to construct a cable-stayed bridge above the creek.

So fresh tenders were invited in October 2022 with the deadline for submissions by November, however, the deadline has been extended several times.

The aim of the link road is to establish a connection between Dahisar, which is located at the northernmost point of the western suburbs, and the satellite town of Bhayandar.  

The proposed elevated road is set to span 5.6 km and will have four lanes on either side. Although the project was initially planned by MMRDA in 2016, it has since been taken over by BMC.

The project area lies between two municipal corporations — with 1.5 km falling under BMC's jurisdiction and 4.1 km under the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC).

The linking road project is expected to ease congestion at the Dahisar checkpoint (naka), which sees a high volume of daily traffic heading towards Bhayander, Vasai, Palghar, as well as Gujarat and Delhi via the Western Express Highway (WEH).

During peak hours, the road from Dahisar checkpoint to Ghodbunder Road is also recognised as one of the most congested roads and the proposed linkage would alleviate this bottleneck.

The DBLR is also known to be the last leg of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project, through which BMC intends to connect Nariman Point, the southernmost tip of island city, with the western suburbs.