Mumbai: The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), also known as the Sewri Nhava Sheva Connector, which was envisaged 35 years ago, its actual construction began only in March 2018. So far, only 14 per cent of the total work has been completed.
The project has been divided into three packages. As on October 31, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 15 per cent of the work in the first package of the 10.4 km bridge. About 12 per cent progress has been achieved in the second package, which includes the construction of a 7.8-km-long bridge, while in the third package, 11 per cent construction, including building a 3.8-km viaduct, has completed.
Once ready, the 22-km-long sea bridge, estimated to cost around Rs17,843 crore, will decongest the island city and improve connectivity between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
Apart from cutting the travel time and saving fuel, the MTHL sea bridge will accelerate the growth of the Navi Mumbai region, as it is expected to directly rationalise the real estate prices in Mumbai city. The deadline to complete the project is December 2020.
Talking to the FPJ about the project, Pravin Purav, an Uran resident and senior political journalist, said, “Once the sea link is ready, it will reduce the distance between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Not just commuters like me, but the farmers will also benefit from the route, making it easier to transport their crops to the main markets of the city fast. Currently, I travel by ferries from Mazgoan Dock to reach Uran. The ferry boats are available at a frequency of one and a half hours. It takes nearly 40 minutes to reach the destination, and costs Rs40 for a single trip. The monthly pass costs Rs1,500. I wish for the timely completion of the sea link, as the project has already delayed a lot. The sea link will definitely provide a major relief to commuters. Moreover, the bridge should be made toll-free.”
Commenting on the pace of the project and its completion, Dilip Kawathkar, the MMRDA joint project director (public Relations), said the work is going on efficiently despite facing several challenges.
