With the promise of better infrastructure in urban centres and improved healthcare in rural areas, Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) declared open the Bandra-Worli sea link here on Tuesday.
Offering a vision of “Bharat Nirman,” she said schemes like the Urban Renewal Mission and the Rural Health Mission, proved that power was not an end for the UPA, but was instead the means to serve the people.
Ms. Gandhi was addressing a mammoth gathering at the Rang Sharda grounds in suburban Bandra, after unveiling two plaques at the entrance of the bridge.
This being her first visit to the city after the victory in the Lok Sabha polls, she thanked the people of Mumbai for their support.
She congratulated the people behind the engineering feat, from the engineers to the labourers, and dedicated the structure to the citizens of Mumbai.
The function saw a number of political heavyweights including Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Union Power Minister Shushil Kumar Shinde, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and several other prominent State Ministers.
Adding a political masterstroke to the event, Mr. Pawar proposed naming the sea link after Rajiv Gandhi, an idea which was welcomed.
Mr. Chavan endorsed the proposal and made an announcement to that effect.
Mr. Pawar likened the state-of-the-art cable-stayed bridge to the ones in San Francisco.
“It is an example of the miracles engineers are capable of,” he said.
In the backdrop of the new architectural marvel, the leaders spoke of the UPA’s vision for Mumbai as an international financial hub with advanced facilities. “Mumbai is an embodiment of secularism. The city becoming an international financial centre will be a matter of great pride for the citizens of this country. This can happen only when development work is ongoing. The sea link will ease the traffic woes of the people and enhance the city’s beauty,” Ms. Gandhi said.
The sea link is being hailed for reducing the travel time from Bandra to Worli to seven minutes from the current 40. This could help save fuel and reduce pollution. An estimated 50,000 vehicles are set to ply on the eight-lane wonder, Vimalatai Mundada, Minister for Public Works Department, said.
The Chief Minister announced that there won’t be any toll for the first five days.
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Bandra Worli Sea Link Picture Gallery:
(Click to enlarge)
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Project Background
Bandra Worli Sea Link Project has been one of the most highly recommended project of all the transport studies done for the metropolitan region during the last forty years.
At present, Mahim causeway is the only link connecting western suburbs to island city of Mumbai. The existing north south western corridor is highly congested and during the peak hours results in a bottleneck at Mahim Causeway.
Vehicular traffic admeasuring about 1,20,000 PCU travels on the Mahim causeway everyday and during peak hours and it takes about forty minutes to travel from Mahim causeway to Worli, a distance of about 8 km.
Presently, the Mahim Causeway is the only link connecting the western suburbs to island city of Mumbai. The existing north–southwestern corridor is highly congested and during the peak hours results in a bottleneck at Mahim Causeway. The sea link will act as an alternate route between the western suburbs of Mumbai and central Mumbai, in addition to the existing Mahim Causeway. This link will also form a part of the west island freeway.
Access will be controlled on the Worli end by toll plazas on the Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan Road, and on the Bandra end by toll plazas at Love Grove Junction.
Vehicular traffic measuring about 120,000 PCU travels on the Mahim Causeway everyday and during peak hours and it takes about forty minutes to travel from Mahim to Worli, a distance of about 8 km.
MSRDC has awarded the contract of constructing the Bandra Worli Sea-Link – Package - IV to the Hindustan Construction Company and its foreign partner, the China Harbour Engineering Corporation, which has successfully completed similar projects. HCC has the responsibility of maintaining the bridge during the damage liability period of five years.
The original project design was modified to include two separate towers for the main cable stay bridge. In addition to this, the bridge was realigned around 150 meters into the sea and an additional cable stay bridge was introduced at the Worli side to increase the height of the bridge to accommodate the demands of local fishermen of Worli Koliwada to ease the vessel movement under the bridge closer to their habitat. Due to the change in the scope of work, the project was delayed in the initial stages, which resulted in increased project cost. Presently the work is in full swing and the Bandra Worli Sea-Link is expected to be complete by end of June 2009.
The Bandra Cable Stay Bridge, part of the Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL) was connected to the approach spans on May 27, 2008. This is a significant milestone towards completion of the Sea Link being built by HCC prior to the onset of Mumbai’s monsoon this season.
The Bandra Cable Stay section of the BWSL spans 600 m in length and towers to a height of 126 m (equivalent to a 43 storied building). The Cable Stay system comprises 2,250 km of high strength galvanized steel wires which support the Cable Stay Bridge weighing 20,000 ton. An engineering marvel and the first ever open Sea Bridge of its kind, the Bandra Worli Sea Link is one of the most complex and advanced construction projects in India.
The project was initiated more than 10 years ago but it was delayed due to public interest litigations. The foundation stone was laid in 1999, by Shiv Sena leader Balasaheb Thackeray.
The sea-link was inaugurated by Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, UPA & President, INC, on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
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Contributed by amit from Mumbai
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