PM Modi inaugurates Atal Setu. Here's what's special about it
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated India's longest sea bridge in Mumbai. The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL)—renamed Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu—stretches 21.8km. The six-lane bridge connects Sewri in Mumbai's island city to Chirle in Raigad district on the mainland. First imagined 60 years ago, it will reduce travel time between both areas to under 20 minutes. It is the longest sea bridge in India and was constructed over a cost of Rs. 17,840 crores.
Watch: PM Modi inaugurates Atal Setu in Mumbai
MTHL stretches over Thane creek, reduces Airport connectivity
The MTHL is a six-lane, twin-carriageway bridge, that stretches over Thane Creek in the Arabian Sea, linking Sewri in Mumbai to Chirle in Raigad district. The bridge features a 16.5-kilometer sea link and viaducts on land at both ends. By reducing travel time, MTHL will bring Mumbai and Navi Mumbai closer. It will provide faster connectivity between Navi Mumbai and Mumbai International Airports and will also reduce the travel time from Mumbai to Pune, Goa and South India.
Project was first conceptualized in 1963
The concept of a bay crossing was first proposed in 1963 by American firm Wilbur Smith Associates. After several failed bidding attempts and changes in nodal agencies, the project gained momentum when the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) signed an agreement with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in December 2017. JICA agreed to finance 80% of the project cost, with the state and central governments covering the remaining amount. The total expenditure on the project is Rs. 21,200 crore.
Benefits, concerns, and public transport on the bridge
A report revealed that the MTHL will decrease the average travel time between Sewri and Chirle from 61 minutes to less than 16 minutes, with approximately 40,000 vehicles expected to use the bridge daily in 2024. However, concerns have been raised about the toll for a one-way crossing and the absence of public transport facilities, such as dedicated bus lanes, on the bridge. Additionally, the landing points on the mainland side are over 10km away from major residential areas.
Innovative technologies used in bridge construction
The lights utilized in Atal Setu are designed not to disrupt the aquatic environment. Its construction involved various technologies used for the first time, earning it recognition as an "engineering marvel" by experts, according to a senior official. It also features innovative technologies, emphasizing environmental sensitivity, the Metropolitan Commissioner of MMRDA, Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee, said, according to NDTV. Notably, the speed limit for 4-wheelers on the bridge is 100kmph. No two or three wheels are allowed on the bridge.
