PM Modi to inaugurate Mumbai Trans Harbour Link on January 12. Details

The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) - a six-lane, 21.8-km-long bridge - is the longest sea bridge in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) on January 12, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde said on Sunday. According to the CM, the MTHL project, which is said to be the country's longest sea bridge, will save travel time between Sewri in Mumbai and Nhava Sheva area in Raigad district.

Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (ANI file photo. Representative image)

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate MTHL on January 12. This bridge will bring economic development and growth in areas connected to it,” Shinde told the media.

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

1. The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) - a six-lane, 21.8-km-long bridge - is the longest sea bridge in India. Out of the total stretch, 16.5 km is above the sea, and the remaining 5.5 km is on land.
2. The bridge will have interchanges at Sewri, Shivaji Nagar, Jassi, and Chirle on National Highway 4B on the Navi Mumbai end. It will also connect to the arterial Mumbai Pune Expressway, which links the state's two largest cities.
3. 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. Earlier, the bridge was supposed to be inaugurated on December 25, but it missed the deadline. Notably, the bridge has passed the load-carrying capacity tests held over the last fortnight and is ready to be opened for vehicular traffic.
4. According to the MMRDA, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has provided an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan for the ambitious infrastructure project.
5. The crucial call on the toll on the corridor is yet to be taken by the state government. However, according to officials, while MMRDA has proposed a toll of ₹500, it could be reduced to ₹300 to ₹350 keeping the election season in mind.