First accident reported on Mumbai's Atal Setu, passengers unhurt
The incident took place after a Maruti car carrying two women and three children lost control and toppled over on the road.
An accident took place in Mumbai's newly inaugurated Atal Setu, India's longest sea bridge, on Sunday.
The incident took place after a Maruti car carrying two women and three children lost control and toppled over on the road. They sustained minor injuries.
The passengers were travelling from Chirle to Mumbai. The incident was also caught on camera.
This is the first accident reported on the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Trans Harbour Link, or Atal Setu, in Navi Mumbai. It was integrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 12.
The bridge is a six-lane, 21.8-km-long bridge built for over ₹18,000 crore. It originates from Sewri in Mumbai and terminates at Nhava Sheva in Uran taluka in Raigad district.
Also Read | Auto-rickshaw crossing Mumbai’s Atal Setu raises concerns, netizens ask ‘how did it enter?’
The bridge is said to provide faster connectivity to Mumbai International Airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport and reduce travel time from Mumbai to Pune, Goa, and South India. It will also improve connectivity between Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port.
The sea bridge has shortened the distance between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai to just 20 minutes which earlier took 2 hours. Travellers are charged ₹250 for a one-way toll for the bridge. The charges for the return journey and frequent commuters vary.
Also Read | 122 motorists fined, 1 auto driver booked for violations on MTHL
The maximum speed limit for four-wheelers on the MTHL is 100 kmph while on the ascent and descent of the bridge, the speed is restricted to 40 kmph.
On an average, 70,000 vehicles are expected to ply on the sea bridge. According to traffic projections made by the MMRDA in their study, by 2032, over 1.33 lakh vehicles are expected to use the Sewri-Shivaji.
The foundation stone of the bridge was laid in December 2016 by Prime Minister Modi. The construction of the bridge began in 2018. While it was expected to be open to the public in 4.5 years, the project was delayed by eight months due to the Covid-19 outbreak.