Mumbai's upcoming Versova–Bandra Sea Link to be named as Veer Savarkar Setu, Trans Harbour Link named after Vajpayee
The Versova Bandra Sea Link will be known as Swatantryaveer Savarkar Sagari Setu and the MTHL as Atal Bihari Vajpayee Smruti Shivdi-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday announced to rename the upcoming Versova-Bandra Sea Link in the financial capital Mumbai after Hindutva leader V D Savarkar and the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Read here: Mumbai's Bandra-Versova sealink to be named after VD Savarkar: CM Eknath Shinde
The Versova Bandra Sea Link will be known as Swatantryaveer Savarkar Sagari Setu and the MTHL as Atal Bihari Vajpayee Smruti Shivdi-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, Shinde said. The decisions were taken in the state cabinet meeting chaired by the chief minister. The state government first announced the decision a month ago, on May 28, on the 140th birth anniversary of the late Hindutva leader.
Bandra-Versova Sea Link:
The eight-lane sea bridge will connect Versova, a neighbourhood in the suburb of Andheri, to the 5.6-km-long Bandra-Worli Sea Link, known as Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link, as part of the coastal road project.
Read here: Zoological Survey of India to monitor impact of Bandra-Versova Sea Link on marine life
Being constructed at a cost of ₹11,332 crore, the 17,17 km long sea link comprises of a 9.6-km long bridge with a 7.57 km connecting road. The bridge will be completed by December 2026, a statement from the chief minister's office (CMO) said.
The eight-lane sea link will help in reducing the traffic congestion in the metro city, especially during the peak hours.
Mumbai Trans Harbour Link:
The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), also posed as India's longest sea bridge, is an under-construction 21.8 km access-controlled road bridge which will connect the financial capital with Navi Mumbai. The six-lane bridge begins in Sewri in south Mumbai and terminates at Chirle near Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai.
Read here: ‘OMG! It’s almost ready!’: Maharashtra deputy CM Fadnavis on India's longest sea bridge
It is being posed as the longest sea bridge in the country with a total stretch of 16.5 km above the sea. It is expected to provide major relief to commuters in Mumbai Metropolitan Region by mitigating traffic congestion, and also promote economic development. It will allow people to travel from Sewri in central Mumbai to Chirle in Navi Mumbai in 15 to 20 minutes.
According to the reports, the bridge is 95% complete and will become operational by December 2023.
Read here: Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link: 5 facts about India's longest sea bridge
Other sites renamed:
The renaming of the bridge after Savarkar comes amid a slew of measures the Shinde government took in the last year. Ahmednagar has been renamed Ahilyanagar after Maratha queen Ahilya Devi Holkar. Aurangabad was renamed after Chhatrapati Shivaji's eldest son, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. Similarly, Osmanabad was renamed Dharashiv.
(With inputs from agencies)