Mumbai to Get India’s Longest Sea Bridge by May 26; To Reduce Travel Time Between THESE Places
The 16.5 km long deck of Mumbai Trans Harbour Sea Link (MTHL), the “longest sea bridge in the country”, will be reportedly completed by May 25-26. The MTHL will be the first bridge in India to have an Open Road Tolling (ORT) system and is expected to make travel from Sewri in central Mumbai to Chirle in Navi Mumbai possible in 15 to 20 minutes.
Once the entire deck for the sea link is laid, vehicles will be allowed on the bridge, according to a report by Times Now.
The MTHL will be 22-km-long comprising 5.5 km via ducts on land on both sides and the 16.5 km bridge running over the sea, with 70,000 vehicles likely to zoom across it daily in both directions.
With this project, the government aims to alleviate traffic congestion and stimulate economic development in the region.
It is a 6-lane road bridge plus 2 emergency lanes, spanning the harbour between Sewri on the Mumbai side and Chirle in Navi Mumbai on the mainland, and would be longest sea bridge in India after completion. Estimated to cost around Rs 18,000 crore, the project is being implemented on a Design-Build basis with a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
As per media reports, after the deck launch, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will shift its focus to other tasks including– waterproofing, asphalting, and the construction of crash barriers along the sea link.
Furthermore, the MMRDA will also commence the installation of CCTV cameras, lampposts, and toll infrastructure.
With the ORT system, commuters would have a seamless pass through toll booths at speeds of up to 100 km without the need to slow down.