Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) bridge to be connected to Mumbai- Pune expresswayÂ
58.3 percent reduction in accidental deaths on Mumbai Pune Expressway in 7 years
The travel time from Mumbai to Pune will be reduced due to the forthcoming new road project. The recent significant development in Mumbai will be the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), which will be the longest sea bridge in the nation.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) officials announced that an elevated corridor will connect the MTHL to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. This is also an attempt to ease the heavy traffic jams.
Currently, during peak hours, automobiles in the Navi Mumbai neighbourhood of Nhava Sheva spend more than 40 minutes in traffic. The vehicles can avoid the jam by taking a 1.5 km detour using the MTHL. For those who frequently travel from Mumbai to Pune, this might be advantageous. The Navi Mumbai International Airport, which is still under construction, will also be passed by.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is sponsoring the MTHL, recently provided an official development assistance (ODA) loan for the project in the amount of 30,755 million Yen (about $1,927 crore). The loan agreement for the project’s first and second tranches, which make up this third tranche, was signed on March 31, 2017, and March 27, 2020, respectively.
The corridor, which would cost $1 billion to build and reduce travel time between Lonavala, Khandala, and Mumbai by 90 minutes, has been put out to bid. It would also improve traffic flow between Mumbai and Pune and resolve the bottleneck problem in Navi Mumbai brought on by restricted lane connectivity.
In the meantime, the 21.8 km long MTHL sea bridge, which connects Sewri in Bombay with Nhava Sheva in Raigad, is 92% finished. By December 2023, it is anticipated to be in operation. It is also connected with the Eastern Freeway which will allow motorists to take a signal-free bridge from Sewri to CSMT. The project is being executed at ₹ 18,000 crore.
A cable-stayed, six-lane, freeway-grade road bridge connecting Sewri on Bombay Island with Navi Mumbai, the long-awaited 21.8 km long MTHL, is under construction. 16.5 km of the overall length is spent at water, and the remaining 5.5 km are on land. When finished, it would be India’s longest sea bridge and accommodate 70,000 vehicles each day.
