India's longest sea bridge, the under-construction Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), will be the first sea bridge in India to have an Open Road Tolling (ORT) system, allowing commuters to drive past the toll booth at speeds of up to 100kmph without slowing down to pay the toll charge.
Built at a cost of around Rs 18,000 crore, the MTHL, after completion, will cater to around 70,000 vehicles. NDTV exclusively visited the 16.5 km long deck that will be completed by May 24. Around 95% of the work has been done, and the bridge will be completed before the year-end.
"Work on structures is almost complete. Tomorrow evening, at an event, we are going to connect the bridge to the mainland. The remaining work -- road laying, electrical, intelligent transport system (electronic tolling) -- will be done after the event. It is possible to achieve the target we set two years ago, to finish by December end this year," SVR Srinivas, the commissioner of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, told NDTV. The bridge is not just an "engineering marvel", but also an engine of economic growth, he added.
This bridge will connect Mumbai to the mainland with a commute time of 12 to 15 minutes, cutting down significantly from several hours it takes today, Mr Srinivas explained, adding that it will facilitate ease of movement for raw materials, finished goods, and labour, creating a new supply chain between Mumbai and the mainland.
MTHL aims to connect Mumbai with Navi Mumbai, the financial capital's satellite city, in order to mitigate traffic congestion and promote economic development. The bridge will begin in Sewri, South Mumbai, will cross Thane Creek north of Elephanta Island, and will terminate at Chirle near Nhava Sheva.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis will visit the site on Wednesday evening.
The MTHL was planned around 30 years ago to speed up the traffic between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai and also facilitate the traffic from Mumbai to Pune and Goa.
The MMRDA awarded contracts for the project in November 2017, construction began in April 2018, and was scheduled to complete within 4.5 years. However, construction was delayed by around eight months due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is currently expected to complete by December 2023.
