A year has passed since the inauguration of Atal Setu, the country's longest sea bridge, which connects Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Currently, the bridge sees an average daily traffic of fewer than 23,000 vehicles, muchy lower than the initial estimate of over 56,000 vehicles per day.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated this nearly 22 km long bridge a year ago on January 12, 2024, which connects Shivadi in Mumbai to Chirle in Navi Mumbai. This bridge marks the completion of a major infrastructure project in Maharashtra.
No major improvement in Mumbai traffic
It was said that after the opening of Atal Setu, there would be a big change in Mumbai's traffic, but even after a year has passed, the condition of Mumbai's traffic remains the same, there has been no major improvement in it.
In fact, before the construction of Atal Setu, it was claimed that the route between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai would not remain congested, but even now long queues of vehicles are seen on this route. Due to the high toll on Atal Setu, drivers are still seen using the old route for travel.
Longest structure built on the sea in the country
Built at a cost of about Rs 17,840 crore, 'Atal Bihari Vajpayee Shivadi-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu' is the longest bridge in India and is also the longest structure built on the sea in the country. In a release on Monday, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) said that the Atal Setu (formerly Mumbai Trans Harbour Link or MTHL) is "emerging as a symbol of modern infrastructure, safety and efficiency".
The government-run Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority said that the bridge over the Thane creek facilitated the movement of 83,06,009 vehicles last year, contributing significantly to smooth and faster traffic between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
According to an MMRDA report, by 2021 (the structure was inaugurated much later) an average of 57,525 vehicles will use the bridge per day and by 2031 this number will increase to 88,550. The report said that just after the inauguration, a movement of 61,807 vehicles was recorded in a day when it was opened for public use on January 14, 2024, while later the bridge witnessed an average movement of 22,689 vehicles daily.
The six-lane bridge, about 16.5 km long on sea and 5.5 km long on land, provides faster connectivity between Mumbai International Airport and the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (expected to be operational later this year). The construction of this bridge has not only reduced travel time from Mumbai to Pune, Goa and South India, but has also significantly improved connectivity between Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port.
Prakash Kumar Pandey
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