Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated India’s longest sea-bridge — the 22-km long Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, or Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, here. He also became the first person to officially drive across the bridge which rises majestically in the Mumbai harbour areas, linking the Mumbai isle with the mainland.
PM Modi was flanked by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar at the inauguration ceremony that attracted huge local crowd to witness the unveiling of the giant engineering marvel.
The MTHL is considered the most challenging sea bridge project taken up in India and executed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
The bridge is expected to save commuting time from south Mumbai to Panvel (Raigad) from the existing around 120 minutes to barely 20 minutes, leading to a massive saving in fuel costs besides reducing pollution and CO2 hazards.
The MTHL will provide super-smooth connectivity to the Mumbai-Goa Highway, Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the Virar-Raigad corridor, the Navi Mumbai International Airport, the JNPA and MbPA twin ports, and serve as a new gateway to the development of the entire coastal Konkan region.
The bridge is considered an engineering marvel with a total length of 21.8 km, of which 16.5 km runs over the sea and other 5.5 km on land on both sides and elevated approach roads.
“Beyond simply reducing travel time, the bridge enhances our quality of life through the integration of modern and advanced technology. Environmental sustainability, longevity, security, and progress are among the fundamental purposes of this engineering marvel,” the MMRDA said on the inaugural of its biggest showpiece project.
With the opening of the MTHL for regular traffic from January 13, the traffic snarls on both sides of the Mumbai Harbour would be history as vehicles will zip through the bridge in barely 20 minutes without affecting the environment or the Ramesar Site flamingo sanctuary below it. The high-speed MTHL corridor starts from Sewri in Mumbai to Chirle (island) on the Navi Mumbai side (mainland) to reduce commute time, air pollution, fuel costs and other benefits with a Rs 250 toll per car one-way for the first year, after which it will be reviewed.
It has been constructed of steel using the steel equivalent of 500 Boeing aircraft and weighs 17 times more than the Eiffel Tower of Paris.
Constructed at a cost of over INR 18,000 crore in seven years, the MTHL becomes the longest sea bridge built in India so far and ranks 12th of its kind in the world, including similar sea-links in China, the US, UAE and Portugal.
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A consortium led by FIL Industries, including POMA SAS France and SRM Engineering LLP, has initiated the construction of India’s longest ropeway system. This remarkable 5.5-kilometer ropeway will link the twin cities of Dehradun and Mussoorie, significantly improving connectivity between the two cities. With a total investment of INR 300 crore, this mono-cable ropeway project is set to be operational by September 2026.
The Dehradun Mussoorie Ropeway will drastically reduce travel time, effectively cutting down the 33-kilometer driving distance between Dehradun and Mussoorie, which can take up to 1.5 to 3 hours due to traffic, to just 15 minutes.
Notably, this ropeway will introduce 10-seater cabins, a pioneering feature in India. These cabins are fully enclosed, well-ventilated, and equipped with automatic opening and closing doors. Initially, they will have the capacity to transport up to 1300 passengers per hour per direction. The ropeway is designed to operate year-round, including during adverse weather conditions such as rain or snow. This development is expected to alleviate traffic congestion in the region, especially during peak tourist seasons, significantly benefiting both local residents and visitors.
The Dehradun Mussoorie Ropeway is unique as it is being constructed to serve dual purposes: to cater to the needs of tourists and to enhance urban mobility between the two cities in Uttarakhand, said the consortium in its statement.
Owais Altaf Syed, Group Director, FIL Industries, expressed excitement about the project, stating, “We are very excited to launch this mega ropeway project in the state of Uttarakhand, FIL Industries’ second ropeway project in India, after our very successfully running Skyview by Empyrean project in Patnitop, Jammu. The Mussoorie-Dehradun sustainable ropeway project is being built with state-of-the-art, world-class infrastructure. Once ready, it will not only provide a source of employment and bring in revenue to the state; it will also attract tourists from across the world, contributing considerably to the state GDP.”FIL Industries’s Skyview by Empyrean project in Patnitop, Jammu has revolutionised travel between Sanget Valley and Patnitop, reducing road travel time and vehicular pollution. The Mussoorie Skycar Company‘s project aims to follow this success by introducing an integrated ecosystem that supports modern urban mobility solutions while preserving the region’s natural beauty. This endeavor also includes infrastructure development, such as hospitality, food and beverage facilities, and retail outlets, which will boost the local economies of both Dehradun and Mussoorie.
Upon completion, the Dehradun Mussoorie Ropeway is expected to offer an enhanced travel experience, making it a valuable asset to Uttarakhand’s tourism and mobility sectors.
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