State public works minister Nitin Gadkari said that the consultants, who will paid Rs 18.56 crore, are expected to submit their reports by March. MSRDC has already sought necessary clearances from the union ministry of forest and environment. It will either go in for tenders or award contracts to private players for this project.

The Worli-Bandra sea link, aimed at providing an additional outlet from the island city to the suburb, will also make available an alternative to the Mahim causeway, presently the only connection between the city and suburb.

MSRDC has already undertaken construction of 55 flyovers in Mumbai with an investment of Rs 1,550 crore. Costhas been reduced by Rs 450 crore with modern designs and change in code of construction of flyovers. MSRDC will shortly begin building the Rs 80 crore Crawford Market-JJ Hospital flyover. It will float tenders for the Rs 1,021 crore Mumbai-Talasari expressway and Rs 1,016 crore Mumbai-Nashik expressway after December 26. MSRDC plans to begin construction from April next year and complete them in three years. Gadkari said that tolls would be imposed on these expressways and about 1,500 hectares each will be given for commercial use to developers. In turn, they will be allowed to develop hotels, petrol pumps and give advertisement rights.

The minister said that the Rs 1,250 crore Mumbai-Pune expressway undertaken by MSRDC will be opened for vehicular traffic in January 2000 and that the corporation would also build the Panvel bypass connecting the proposed expressway with an investment of Rs 180 crore. The Panvel bypass was estimated at Rs 340 crore in 1992 and was to be constructed by IL&FS in associationwith the state public works department and union ministry of surface transport (MOST).

However, with IL&FS withdrawing from the project, MOST has handed this over to the MSRDC. Gadkari said that the state body has got a Rs 67 crore loan from the Indian Bank at 13.77 per cent without government guarantee. Moreover, Hudco has promised to lend Rs 500 crore at concessional rates.