The segment casting work for Package-2 of the under-construction Mumbai Trans Harbour Sealink (MTHL) was completed Saturday, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the nodal agency for the MTHL project, has said. As per MMRDA commissioner SVR Srinivas, a total of 3,132 segment casting was needed for Package-2. He further said, “It is a wonderful achievement as we cross one more milestone and move a little closer towards project completion. This engineering marvel – MTHL – is now 93 per cent complete.” The MTHL bridge has been divided into four packages. Package-1 is from Sewri (0.00 km) to 10.380 km in the sea. Package-2 is from Sewri (10.380 km) to 18.189 km in the sea and Package-3 is from Sewri (18.187) km to 21.80 km on land. Package-4 is setting up an intelligent transport system on MTHL Bridge. Recently, MMRDA received the third tranche of finance of Rs 1,927 crore for Package-3 from JICA. According to MMRDA, the commencement date of three civil work packages was March 23, 2018, and the progress is 92.60 per cent in Package-1, 92.28 per cent in Package-2, and 98.09 per cent in Package-3, as of March 5, 2023. Package-4 entails works related to the intelligent transport system (ITS), toll management system, electrical works, highway illumination system, and construction of toll plazas and administrative buildings including the command control centre. MTHL is expected to be operational by the end of 2023. Once completed, the 22-km-long sea bridge (16 km on sea and six km on land) will reduce the road distance between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai and the travel time to one-fourth. The project is envisaged to improve connectivity between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai; accelerate the growth of Navi Mumbai; smoothen the traffic flow from Navi Mumbai airport to Mumbai; and enable greater economic integration of Mumbai with Navi Mumbai and with the extended regions of Pune, Goa, Panvel, and Alibaug.
