That was followed by design changes and, consequently, a series of disputes over cost escalations. First, the alignment on the Worli side was changed — it was moved 150 m into the sea to accommodate the demands of local fishermen. This was slipshod planning, for the new alignment involved cutting through much denser, stronger basalt rock before the pylon foundations could be laid. Then, when HCC submitted the cost implications, the claims were immediately rejected, leading to the start of negotiations that haven’t entirely concluded.

As further design changes were incorporated, by October 2003, HCC’s revised cost estimate was over twice the Rs 400-crore value of the original contract, leading to loud allegations of overcharging. Further negotiations, a new project management consultant, and more unpaid bills followed.

“This is not the time to talk about it,” said Ajit Gulabchand, managing director of HCC, when asked about his pending outstanding bills to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). Officials of the latter stayed tight-lipped too, their spat with HCC over huge cost escalations swept aside for now, though what was a Rs 400-crore contract now comes with a price tag of Rs 852 crore.

The link’s inauguration comes when vehicular traffic in the Mumbai region is rapidly growing — set to leap from 7 lakh in 2006 to 2.26 million in 2031 and crucial road projects remain stalled.

Suburban railway commuters have grown by 26 per cent on Central Railway and 12 per cent on Western Railway in the last five years. The result: 14-16 standing passengers per square metre of floor space in crush-hour rail traffic.