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Atal Setu, Mumbai India’s Longest Sea Bridge Inaugurated

Atal Setu, Mumbai India’s Longest Sea Bridge Inaugurated

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Inspiration Study Circle- Dehradun Atal Setu, Mumbai India’s Longest Sea Bridge Inaugurated

The Grand inauguration of the Mumbai Trans Harbor Link (MTHL), known as Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, shows India’s infrastructural prowess. MTHL is the longest sea bridge in India at 21.8 km, spans 16.5 km of sea, and is expected to handle over 70,000 vehicles daily.

“The inauguration of Atal Setu exemplifies India’s infrastructural prowess and underscores the country’s trajectory towards a ‘Viksit Bharat’”

“For us, every project is a medium for the creation of New India”

 “Atal Setu presents a picture of Viksit Bharat”

Unveiling the six-lane, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated: “The inauguration of Atal Setu shows India’s infrastructural prowess and underscores the country’s trajectory towards a ‘Viksit Bharat’. This project employed around 17,000 laborers and 1,500 engineers while creating employment opportunities in the transport and construction industries.”

The PM also laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth more than ₹12,700 crores in Navi Mumbai, in sectors including road and rail connectivity, drinking water, gems and jewelry, and women empowerment.

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Technological Highlights of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link

The new Atal Setu Bridge has been built using technology that makes the bridge more efficient and environmentally friendly. Sanjay Mukherjee, Metropolitan Commissioner of MMRDA, said this is the first time Indian engineers have used tech for construction.

  • Earthquake-Resistant Design: The bridge incorporates earthquake-resistant technology, which enables it to withstand various types of earthquakes with magnitudes up to 6.5 on the Richter scale.
  • Orthotropic Steel Deck: This feature, a first in India, provides wider spans to the bridge, enhancing its structural integrity.
  • Reverse Circulation Rigs: Implemented to reduce noise and vibrations, this technology plays a crucial role in protecting the surrounding marine life.
  • Noise Mitigation Measures: The bridge includes sound silencers and sound barriers to reduce the acoustic impact.
  • Eco-friendly lighting: The lighting system on the bridge is designed in such a way that it does not disturb the aquatic environment.
  • No toll queues: MTHL will have an open road tolling system which will solve the problem of long queues at tolls. Advanced scanners will be able to scan the vehicle and collect the toll electronically, reducing the waiting time to zero.
  • Display: The bridge will also have displays at regular intervals to provide important real-time information to the drivers. They will be notified about traffic jams or accidents on their route.

Unique Facts about Atal Setu

  1. The Mumbai Trans Harbor Link, a Rs. 18,000 million project, starts from Sewri in Mumbai and ends at Nhava Shewa in Uran taluka of Raigad district. Atal Setu will significantly reduce travel time from 2 hours to 20 minutes providing signal-free connectivity.
  2. The new Atal Setu bridge is expected to bring big cheer to commuters as the MTHL will decrease the travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai to just 20 minutes.
  3. Atal Setu is a 6-lane sea link, 16.50 km by sea and 5.5 km by land. The total length of the Sukabumi Trans Harbor Link is 21.8 kilometers.
  4. The construction of MTHL included a large amount of steel equivalent to the weight of 500 Boeing jets and 17 times the height of the Eiffel Tower.
  5. The high-speed Atal Setu Bridge aims to provide better connectivity from Mumbai to the Pune Expressway and Goa Highway. MTHL will also connect to Navi Sukabumi International Airport and JNPT Port.
  6. MTHL adopted the Open Road Toll (ORT) system, eliminating bottlenecks and associated long queues at toll booths. Already operational in Singapore, this system allows vehicles to move smoothly through toll booths. Advanced scanners and cameras detect moving vehicles, facilitating electronic toll collection.
  7. Sewri-Shivaji Nagar (Ulwe) road tariff revised. Engineer vehicles will now charge Rs. 200 for the Sewri-Shivaji Nagar stretch and Rs. 50 for the 2.5 km Shivaji Nagar-Gavhan stretch. This amendment corrects the pre-announcement of Rs. 250 for the entire range. The round-trip fare will be 1.5 times the one-way fare.
  8. Authorities said the maximum speed limit for four-wheelers in the MTHL is 100 km/hr. However, motorcycles, cars, and tractors are prohibited on the sea bridge. Officials have set a speed limit of 100 km/h for vehicles such as cars, taxis, autos, minibusses, and two-wheelers. The speed will be up to 40 km/h when going up and down the bridge.
  9. Completion of the MTHL project was achieved without causing any environmental disturbance. According to the Maharashtra government, the number of flamingos visiting Sewri has increased.
  10. The Mumbai Trans Harbor Link includes a crash barrier built at a height of 1.55 meters and provides an uninterrupted view of the sea from your car seat. The Mumbai Metropolitan Development Authority, which had originally planned to build a solid wall, revised it to avoid creating a tunnel effect across the entire MTHL.
  11. MTHL features an Orthotropic steel deck (OSD) span ranging from 65 meters to 180 meters, a first for India, according to MMRDA.
  12. Another important element of the MTHL is the robust light pole designed to withstand marine weather conditions. Equipped with a Central Monitoring and Control System (CCMS), these poles are anti-rust, galvanized to prevent corrosion, resistant to high wind speeds, and include a lightning protection system to prevent potential damage from lightning.
  13. Built with advanced Japanese technology, MTHL will last a century. This project is mainly funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
  14. The Mumbai Trans Harbor Link project is divided into three civil works packages, with Package 4 including the Intelligent Transport System (ITS), Automated Toll Collection System, and Electrical Works.

Some Physical and Constructional features

Carries:

6 lanes (3 lanes in each direction)

Crosses:

Thane Creek

Locale:

Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Maharashtra, India

Begins:

Sewri, South Mumbai

Ends:

Chirle, Uran taluka, Navi Mumbai

Official name:

Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Trans Harbour Link

Other name(s):

Sewri–Nhava Sheva Trans Harbour Link

Named for:

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Owner:

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)

Design and Characteristics

Design:

Concrete–steel pre-cast segment viaduct

Total length:

21.8 kilometres (13.5 mi)

Width:

27 metres (89 ft)

Height:

25 metres (82 ft)

Water depth:

47 metres (154 ft)

Traversable:

Yes

Longest span:

180 metres (590 ft)

Piers in water:

1,089

Design life:

100+ years

Construction span and direction

Engineering design by:

AECOM, PADECO, Dar Al-Handasah and T. Y. Lin International

Constructed by:

Construction started:

24 April 2018

Construction ended:

December 2023

History of the Project

In the 1990s, remembering the future of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the Mumbai Metropolitan Development Agency (MMRDA) began to investigate how to deal with the increase in traffic and congestion in Mumbai, which is a direct result of accidents and failures. There are six bridges connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai across Thane Creek, but they are too narrow and old to handle future traffic.

The proposal was sent to the Maharashtra government in 2012 for consideration. In 2015, the project was approved by the Government of India and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). Thus, the foundation stone for the construction of this project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 24, 2016.

It was initially expected to be completed by 2021. The MMRDA subsequently awarded the contract for the project in November 2017, and construction began in April 2018, with the project scheduled to be completed in 4.5 years by 2022.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction has been delayed and was finally completed in December 2023 and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi on January 12, 2024.

List of 10 Longest Bridges above Water in India

List of top 5 Longest Bridges in the world (any type)

Name

Length (m)

Completed

Traffic

Country

Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge
Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway
Guinness: Longest bridge (any type), 2011

164,800

2010

High-speed rail

 China

Changhua–Kaohsiung Viaduct
Taiwan High-Speed Rail

157,317

2004

High-speed rail

 Taiwan

Kita–Yaita Viaduct
Tohoku Shinkansen

114,424

1982

High-speed rail

 Japan

Tianjin Grand Bridge
Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway
Guinness: Second longest bridge (any type), 2011

113,700

2010

High-speed rail

 China

Cangde Grand Bridge
Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway

105,881

2010

High-speed rail

 China

Benefits and Way Forward

The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link popularly known as the Atal Setu will have a positive game-changing impact on the country’s outline.

  1. The Prime Minister’s vision is to improve the ‘ease of mobility’ of citizens by strengthening urban transport infrastructure and connectivity.
  2. It will provide fast connectivity to Mumbai International Airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport.
  3. It will also reduce travel time from Mumbai to Pune, Goa, and South India.
  4. It will also improve connectivity between Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port.
  5. The lights used in Atal Setu do not disturb the aquatic environment and its construction incorporates many technologies that were used for the first time in India.
  6. One of the most important features of this bridge is its environmental sustainability. The Bombay Natural History Society, an organization that works for the environment, has also given a certificate of appreciation to this landmark.
  7. The bridge is equipped with a state-of-the-art traffic management system that detects fog, low visibility, and vehicles exceeding the prescribed speed limit, among other things.
  8. MTHL is expected to have a positive impact on the real estate market of Navi Mumbai as it will improve connectivity in a better time.

 

Prime Minister Modi’s statement is proof of India’s better days in infrastructural and technological developments. He said, “Atal Setu shows India’s March towards infrastructural prowess and towards becoming a developed Nation. The execution of the bridge shows that we can fight with the sea and cut through the waves to achieve development. Atal Setu is a picture of Developed India.”

 

Disclaimer: The Information and Statistics of the above article are taken from: The Hindu, the Times of India, and Wikipedia

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