World Bank may fund Mumbai Trans Harbour Link project

The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project, that will connect Sewri and Nhava port here, is likely to get a boost as the World Bank has shown keen interest in funding the said project.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is implementing the project, said that it was in talks with the World Bank for funding the project.

"The World Bank has been funding our few projects. They have now shown interest in funding our ambitious MTHL project," MMRDA Commissioner Rahul Asthana said here.

The 22-km, around Rs 8,300 crore MTHL, will be a six-lane road bridge with provisions for two lanes for a Metro line. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) was handling the project initially, but it was later handed over to the MMRDA.

The World Bank had earlier tied up with the MMRDA to fund the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). "MMRDA is also in talks with the World Bank for its metro rail projects," another official said.

The authority is also in talks with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) for providing soft loans for its other projects, including the metro rail project, the official said.

In August, the MMRDA had appointed a consortium of Arup Consulting Engineers and KPMG to conduct a techno-economic feasibility study of the MTHL. The consortium is expected to submit the report by October next year.