India got its longest sea bridge connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on Friday, January 12.
The 21.8-kilometre-long, 6-lane Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) sea bridge will reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai from a two-hour journey to just around 15-20 minutes.
Notably, after inaugurating the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri–Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “This is proof of our resolve that for India’s development, we can take on even the ocean and break the waves.”
Constructed at the cost of Rs 17,840 crore, the foundation of the bridge was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2016.
It runs about 16.5 km over sea and about 5.5 km on land. It will also improve connectivity between Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port. Notably, motorbikes, autorickshaws and tractors won’t be allowed on the sea bridge while four-wheelers will have to maintain a speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour.