Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link: 5 facts about India's longest sea bridge

Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), the longest sea bridge in India, will be laid open to the public in November.

Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), the longest sea bridge in India, will be laid open to the public in November, announced Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday. According to Shinde, 90 per cent of the civil work on the bridge has been completed so far.

Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link: 5 facts about India's longest sea bridge(HT File Photo/Representational image)

All you need to know about the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link:

1. The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link - a six-lane, 21.8-km-long bridge - is the longest sea bridge in India. of the total stretch, 16.5 km is above the sea.

2. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is providing an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan for the project, according to an MMRDA release.

2. The bridge will improve connectivity in Mumbai Metropolitan Region by connecting Mumbai with Navi Mumbai, mitigating traffic congestion, and also promote economic development. It will help people travel from Sewri in central Mumbai to Chirle in Navi Mumbai in 15 to 20 minutes.

3. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Wednesday successfully launched the first longest Orthotropic Steel Deck (OSD) in package 2 of MTHL - which is 180-metre-long and weighs 2,300 metric tonnes.

4. According to CM Eknath Shinde, vehicles traveling via the bridge would not have to stop on the bridge for paying tolls owing to the Open Tolling System (OTS).

(With inputs from agencies)