The much-awaited Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), the first of its kind of trans-harbour link in India, would be commissioned by December 2023.
The around 22-km-long cable-stayed bridge would be similar to the Hangzhou Bay Bridge in China (36 kms) and King Fahd Causeway in Saudi Arabia (26 kms).
The MTHL would connect Sewri in Mumbai with Nhava-Sheva across the harbour.
The mega-project is being executed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
“We would be able to open the MTHL to the public before December next year…as of now, 84 per cent work is complete,” Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said after visiting the MTHL and reviewing the progress.
Shinde, who is also the Urban Development Minister, said that the project would facilitate several new growth centres in the Raigad district.
“The growth centres would come up in Pen and Poynad region near Chirle in Raigad district,” he said.
The MTHL would be a cable-stayed bridge - spanning nearly 21.8 kms - the length of the sea bridge would be 16.5 kms and the length of approach viaducts would be 5.5 kms. The link would support a six lane (3x3) carriageway.
The MTHL would boost development on the mainland Mumbai, satellite township of Navi Mumbai and Raigad. It would ensure speedy connectivity to the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport. Savings in fuel and vehicle operating costs to reach Navi Mumbai, Uran, Panvel, Alibaug, Pune, Konkan and Goa is another major benefit of the project. It would also decongest vehicular traffic in the in the island city.
The estimated cost of the MTHL is over Rs 17,000 crore.