It can be challenging for Brits to comprehend the magnitude of certain colossal infrastructure projects worldwide.
Our most significant manmade structures include London’s Shard, the Bromford Viaduct and our extensive motorway network. However, several global structures dwarf these.
One such structure, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, was inaugurated in India earlier this year after nearly six years of construction.
Officially named the Atal Bihari Vajpayee SewriNhava Sheva Atal Setu, this 13.5-mile (21.8 km) long, six-lane highway bridge is a marvel of engineering.
Locally referred to as Atal Setu, it links the city of Mumbai with Navi Mumbai, home to approximately 22 million people.
The bridge, which cost an eye-watering 17,843 crore (around £1.6bn), can accommodate 70,000 vehicles daily.
Construction on the bridge commenced in April 2018, and it was officially opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 12, 2024.
It holds the title of the longest sea bridge in India and ranks as the world’s 12th longest sea bridge – the longest being China’s Danyang-Kunshan, spanning 102 miles.
Despite the existence of six bridges connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai across Thane Creek, they were deemed too narrow and outdated to manage traffic.
Since the 1990s, the area has been plagued by increasing traffic, congestion and accidents. The Atal Setu was commissioned in hopes of alleviating these issues.
The bridge was designed to slash commuters’ travel time from an hour and a half to just around 20 minutes.
The state-of-the-art structure also boasts a Comprehensive Surveillance System (CSS) that uses a network of high-definition CCTV cameras strategically placed along the entire route.
However, since its opening, Indian news outlets have reported a surge in drivers flouting traffic rules.
The Economic Times revealed that “just hours after” the grand unveiling of the Atal Setu, “numerous” individuals brazenly ignored traffic regulations.
It reported: “Social media platforms were flooded with alarming photos and videos depicting people flouting regulations by stopping their vehicles on a stretch of the bridge with a designated speed limit of 100kmph.”
In the first 12 hours of operation, it was reported that 9,000 cars traversed the bridge.
Despite these issues, many locals have hailed the construction of the bridge.
Under footage of the newly built bridge, one user commented: “I can’t believe this is our India! Well done India, keep growing like this.”
Another added: “One of the major changes we are witnessing as Indians right now is the timely completion of large infrastructure projects. People may not even realise how significant of a change this is.”
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