From Blueprint to Reality: The Epic Journey of India’s Longest Sea Bridge – Atal Setu

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Timeline of MTHL (Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Trans Harbour Link aka Atal Setu), India’s Answer to 21st Century Infrastructure Challenges:

  • 1990s:
    • MMRDA initiates studies on decongesting traffic in Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Image Source – Google Maps
  • 2004:
  • 2005:
    • Second attempt to build the sea link by the Ambani brothers.
  • 2008:
    • Third attempt to build the sea link by the Government of Maharashtra by calling for fresh bids but none of the 13 companies that had shown interest earlier, submitted bids.
  • 2012:
    • Proposal sent to the Government of Maharashtra for consideration.
    • Project receives clearance from Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on 22 October.
    • Environmental clearance granted by MoEFCC on 23 October.
    • DEA grants in-principle approval for the MTHL on 31 October.
  • 2013:
    • Government of India sanctions ₹1,920 crore in viability gap funding.
  • 2015:
    • Forest advisory committee (FAC) withholds clearance, citing environmental concerns.
    • Project cleared by Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) in November.
  • 2016:
    • FAC grants forest clearance in January.
    • Experts’ Appraisal Committee (EAC) grants CRZ clearance.
  • 2017:
    • MMRDA awards contracts to Larsen and Toubro (L&T), IHI Corporation, Daewoo, and Tata Projects Limited (TPL) on 9 November.
  • 2018:
    • Construction begins in April, with a scheduled completion in 4.5 years.
  • 2022:
    • Initial expected completion year.
  • August 2023:
    • Revised completion date due to COVID-19 delays.
  • December 2023:
    • Construction ultimately completed.
  • 12 January 2024:
    • Inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Image Source : PTI

Conclusion: The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project, conceived in the 1990s, faced several hurdles and delays, from environmental concerns to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these challenges, the project was successfully completed and inaugurated on 12 January 2024, providing a crucial link between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, addressing traffic congestion by having the ability to carry 70,000 vehicles per day while also managing to become the longest sea link in India and 12th longest in the world.

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