The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has taken decisive action amidst escalating concerns over the stalled progress of the Santacruz Chembur Link Road (SCLR) extension project.
With three missed deadlines punctuating its timeline, the MMRDA has levied a hefty penalty amounting to ₹2.5 crore on the project’s contractor, J-Kumar Infraprojects Ltd. The SCLR extension, envisioned as a critical 5.4-km-long elevated corridor facilitating seamless connectivity between the Eastern and Western Express Highways, has encountered significant setbacks, casting doubts on its timely completion. Despite concerted efforts, the bridge’s readiness post-monsoon remains uncertain, as the impending fourth deadline in April looms, fraught with challenges.
While the MMRDA has initiated partial openings of the stretch, the final leg of the project, crucially traversing above the Vakola flyover and leading to the Dahisar-bound lane, remains conspicuously incomplete. Senior officials attribute this delay to the necessitated adoption of a cable-stayed bridge design mid-project, owing to the viaduct’s sharp curvature. J-Kumar Infraprojects Ltd, the designated executor of the project, finds itself under scrutiny, having incurred penalties totalling ₹2 crore since 2020, with an additional ₹50 lakh imposed recently. Originally slated for completion by 2019, the project’s timeline has been marred by cost escalations, ballooning from ₹450 crore to ₹650 crore, citing multifarious factors.
The project’s predicament has drawn ire from Right to Information (RTI) activist Anil Galgali, advocating for stringent measures such as contractor blacklisting to avert future project debacles. Despite incremental advancements, exemplified by phased segment openings, the overarching delay underscores systemic inefficiencies endemic to project execution. As stakeholders grapple with mounting apprehensions surrounding the project’s trajectory, a proactive approach to stakeholder engagement and meticulous project management emerges as imperatives to mitigate risks and ensure timely project delivery.
