Uddhav launches first MTHL girder.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray recently launched the first girder for the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project, which will connect Mumbai with Navi Mumbai.

The Sewri to Nhava Sheva sea link will become the longest bridge in India with a length of almost 22 km and has been in the planning stage for over four decades now. An automatic girder launching system, which was used for the first time in India, helped lay the foundation of the bridge.

“We all know that the Sewri-Nhava Sheva bridge, which is very essential for the people, was being postponed for a long time. The work has now begun, and is going very fast. The bridge will now be completed before time,” Mr. Thackeray said, while launching the girder near the Sewri end of the bridge.

According to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the bridge will be 21.8-km long and will cost ₹17,000 crore, 80% of which will be funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Around three lakh metric tonnes of steel and 10 lakh metric tonnes of concrete will be used for its construction. Sanjay Khandare, additional commissioner, MMRDA, said the bridge will be connected with the Eastern Freeway, Prabhadevi railway station and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link on the Mumbai end. Meanwhile, on the Navi Mumbai end, it will connect with Chirle and Shivaji Nagar to help people reach the proposed Navi Mumbai Airport and will be connected to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Alibaug.

“The major problem that the environmentalists had was that the flamingoes, which migrate to the Sewri mud flats every year, would be disturbed by the construction work. Taking the environmentalists’ concerns into account, we have installed silencers and mufflers on all the working equipment to minimise the noise. Further, we have used eco-friendly lighting systems as the birds are sensitive to heavy light exposure,” R. A. Rajeev, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA, said.

He also said CCTV cameras would be installed throughout the bridge. “These cameras are command-controlled and will automatically report any mishaps on the bridge, while also working as a security measure. The MTHL is a one-of-its-kind mega project in the world. It will consist of six lanes and one emergency lane and plans to cut short the travel time from two-and-a-half hours to 22 minutes,” Mr. Rajeev said.

THE HINDU