The journey from Sewri in central Mumbai to Chirle in Navi Mumbai will take only 15-20 minutes once the Mumbai-Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) bridge opens to traffic in November 2023. The Open Road Tolling (ORT) system will be used for the first time on this “longest sea bridge in the country.” Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra, stated that the project will significantly help the economy in an interview with a top portal.
MTHL Bridge: 11 Things You Need to Know About Longest Sea Bridge
- Of the 22 km long bridge, 16.5 km is above the sea.
- The Japan International Cooperation Agency is funding the initiative (JICA).
- It is being built at a cost of over Rs 17,000 crore.
- The bridge ought to be capable of carrying 70,000 vehicles per day.
- Since the Mumbai Trans Harbour Sealink (MTHL) is anticipated to use Open Road Tolling (ORT) technology, vehicles will not need to stop on the bridge to pay tolls.
- According to representatives of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), a Maharashtra government organisation that is currently in charge of carrying out the six-lane MTHL project that is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, this system is now in use in Singapore.
- According to a press release from the MMRDA, the first longest Orthotropic Steel Deck (OSD) in package-2 of MTHL was successfully launched in Chief Minister Shinde’s presence.
- The first longest OSD of package-2 of about 22 km long Trans-Harbour link between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai is 180 metres long and weighs 2,300 metric tonnes.
- The MTHL will also be linked to the under-construction eight-lane coastal highway which begins from Marine Drive to the Worli end of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
- A major long-term benefit expected of the MTHL is the reduction in travel time between Mumbai and Pune.
- MTHL is expected to cut down travel time between Lonavla, Khandala and Mumbai by 90 minutes.
