Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated India’s longest sea bridge that stretches across 21.8 kilometres and aims to transform the journey from the island metropolis of Mumbai to its hinterland cousin Navi Mumbai, marking a potential turning point for the country’s financial capital that has struggled with crumbling infrastructure in recent years.
The ₹17, 840 crore marvel — built using enough steel to construct the Howrah bridge four times over and the Statue of Liberty six times — snakes through 16.5 kms of blue ocean water and about 5.3 km of land, and trims the travel time from south Mumbai to Navi Mumbai from two hours to about 20 minutes.
Formally named the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, it is the flagship project of a broader ₹30,500 crore infrastructure push, also opened by Modi, that hopes to rejuvenate the region, help it regain its competitive commercial edge and relieve some of the population pressure from India’s most-populous city.
“Before 2014, mega scams were a topic of discussion while now mega projects getting completed is a topic of discussion… Dreams are coming true 10 years later. The sea bridge is a reflection of Viksit Bharat (developed India),” he said at the public rally held at Ulve in Navi Mumbai.
The sleek six-lane bridge, which resembles an umbilical cord connecting the mega city to Navi Mumbai, is part of a transformative infrastructure facelift that aims to liberate Maharashtra’s capital from decades of chronic underfunding, rickety public services and decaying road network, helping its 21 million residents live an easier life and eliminating the growth limitations that come from being a linear city.
{{/usCountry}}The sleek six-lane bridge, which resembles an umbilical cord connecting the mega city to Navi Mumbai, is part of a transformative infrastructure facelift that aims to liberate Maharashtra’s capital from decades of chronic underfunding, rickety public services and decaying road network, helping its 21 million residents live an easier life and eliminating the growth limitations that come from being a linear city.
{{/usCountry}}In a day packed with ceremonies and visits in Maharashtra, the PM was accompanied by Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar as he inaugurated the Atal Setu, also known as the Mumbai-Trans Harbour Link, in south Mumbai and drove to Navi Mumbai in a little over 20 minutes.
He then travelled to the site of under construction Navi Mumbai airport where he launched various infrastructure and welfare schemes worth ₹33,000 crore before addressing the well-attended rally.
Modi recalled that he had laid the foundation stone for the six-lane bridge on December 24, 2016. He said the project was completed despite two years of Covid. “When I launched it, I had said I would inaugurate it too. This project is the proof of our resolve. This was Modi’s guarantee and it is being fulfilled. This is how we are changing the country,” he said.
The PM also laid the foundation stone of the underground road tunnel connecting Orange Gate with Marine Drive, remotely inaugurated the Bharat Ratnam mega common facility for the gems and jewellery industry and the New Enterprises and Services Tower at Seepz special economic zone, and launched sixth line of the Khar-Goregaon suburban train route. He also formally dedicated the first line of Navi Mumbai metro line and Digha gaon railway station in Navi Mumbai and Surya dam phase 1. He also launched the Namo Mahila Sakshamikaran Abhiyaan, to impart skill training to over 100,000 women, of the state government.
In his 17-minute address, Modi said the Atal Setu filled everyone with pride for its size, ease of travel, engineers and scale, and thanked Japan for its assistance. “Atal Setu is the acclamation of the aspirations that the entire nation made in 2014,” he said.
Recalling when he visited the Raigarh Fort and spent time at Shivaji’s resting place, Modi said that the nation had witnessed the dreams and resolutions taken 10 years ago come true today. “Viksit Bharat [developed India] will consist of services and prosperity for all. It will have speed and progress which will bring the world closer. Life and livelihood will continue to flourish. This is the message of Atal Setu,” he added.
Modi said the sea bridge — the second in the city after the 5.6km Bandra-Worli sea link — will significantly reduce travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai as well as Raigad district. It will also bring Pune and Goa closer to Mumbai, he said.
“MTHL was being planned for years before we took over. We built it,” he said, and compared it the Bandra-Worli sea link built during the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party regime.
“Atal Setu is five times bigger than Bandra-Worli sea Link. It took 10 years to complete and the cost escalated five times. We completed it in record time after kicking it off in 2016…This is the difference between the two dispensations,” he said.
He then compared the difference between the previous regime and his tenure. “Today, I launched road, rail, metro and water supply projects. Also commercial projects which would give boost to business. Most of these projects were taken up during the previous BJP rule,”he said.
Modi said projects such as the Navi Mumbai airport and the Mumbai coastal road will also be completed soon, India’s first bullet train will start from Mumbai, and the Delhi-Mumbai economic corridor will help the state economy. “The whole country is watching how the taxpayers’ money is being used,” he said.
On an average 70,000 vehicles are expected to ply on the Atal Setu and this number is expected to cross 200,000 by 2042.
The sea bridge has the daily capacity of 70,000 vehicles. It will be opened for vehicular traffic at 8am from Saturday. The 21.8-km distance between South Mumbai and Nhava Sheva in Raigad district can now be completed in 20 minutes against nearly two hours taken by road currently.
Modi said that the construction of the Atal Setu involved 17,000 labourers and 1,500 engineers. “Atal Setu will strengthen all business activities in the region and also boost ease of doing business and ease of life”, he added.
“Today, India is progressing simultaneously on two fronts…on the one hand, the government is running mega campaigns to improve the livelihood of the poor, while major projects are being run in every part of the country on the other,” he said. Referring to the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, the PM said “Modi’s guarantee begins where expectations from others end.”
Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said that Modi has been lying about the claims related to the investments and projects. “The Bandra-Worli sea link was completed in 9 years by spending just ₹1600 crore, whereas the Atal Setu took ten years after it was conceived in 2013 and a whopping ₹17800 crore are spent on it. If he claims that his government spent ₹44 lakh crore on infrastructure in the country, he should give its break up. He spoke about dynastic politics in the presence of Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar who represent the same politics. CM Eknath Shinde has promoted similar politics by projecting his son Shrikant Shinde,” he said.
Londhe said that while appealing youth to keep away from drugs, Modi should speak up about the action taken against the stock of the drugs worth ₹2 lakh crore seized from Mundra port two years ago.