Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to appoint a consultant to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for extending the Versova-Virar Sea Link to Palghar.

The DPR will help map the alignment and connectors which need to be built along this route. This sea link bridge will aid commuters in bypassing interior roads while travelling between South Mumbai and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway. Apart from decongesting the existing road network, the sea link to Palghar would boost the tourism sector and give a fillip to economic activity. In addition, MMRDA has also decided to appoint a consultant to undertake a peer review of plans prepared to construct the Versova-Virar Sea Link.

The review will help ascertain if the alignment planned is proper, if these projects will serve the intended purpose, and vetting of cost estimates, among others. As per the pre-feasibility study, the sea link is proposed to be built with connectors at Charkop, Uttan, Vasai and Virar. The 4+4 lane main bridge would connect Versova and Virar with 3+3 lane connectors at these four locations.

On completion, the sea link will have a capacity of 60,000 vehicles per day. In March 2023, MMRDA approved the proposal to construct a 43 km-long Versova-Virar Sea Link for Rs 63,426 crore, providing coastal road connectivity between Nariman Point and Palghar. In 2019, the decision to build a sea link came based on options given by Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE) in its pre-feasibility report ordered by the government via Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).