The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) has deferred the permission for constructing Sewri-Worli connector. The MCZMA has asked Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to conduct a public hearing to avoid litigation.

The Worli-end of the connector lands in Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) 2. The overbridge will connect Bandra-Worli Sea Link with Sewri Nhava road. The Sewri-Worli connector project has been in the pipeline for the last seven years.

The MMRDA in August 2019 had invited fresh tenders for the project after a poor response to the last invite. However, only one company came forward. The MMRDA had first invited tenders in 2013, the year it proposed the project, and five companies had expressed interest, however, it didn’t work out. The proposed connector will improve east-west connectivity and cut down travel time between Sewri and Worli by 40 minutes.

The 4.3 km stretch will have two + two lanes and will cost over Rs 1,000 crore. The execution of the project will be difficult as the connector will have to pass through densely populated areas like BDD Chawls and Kamgar Nagar slums.