Mumbaikars will once again get together. But unlike after the November terror attacks, they will gather to celebrate, amidst spectacular fireworks and laser displays. It?s not every day that India?s commercial capital gets a city-defining iconic landmark: the Bandra-Worli sea link. The last iconic structure representing Mumbai, the Gateway of India, was built in 1924, and inaugurated by the Viceroy, Earl of Reading. Since then, the monument built by the British symbolically represented Mumbai. About time that changed.
Nationalistic pride apart, the sea link is an aesthete?s delight. It has two beautifully designed cable-stayed bridges (arches) spread over 500 metres and 150 metres; the highest towers soar to a height of 126 metres, equivalent to the height of a 43-storey building. The Maharashtra State Roads Development Corporation (MSRDC) also plans to open a viewers? gallery at the top of the towers: breathtaking views guaranteed, the city on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other.
Coming to prosaic but important stuff, the 5.6 kilometres long, eight-lane engineering marvel will transport commuters from Bandra to Worli in a matter of six-odd minutes. For the Mumbaikar, this is a mini miracle. In peak hour time, with bumper-to-bumper traffic, this eight kilometre stretch takes roughly an hour most times. Plus, count in the stress. With the sea link diverting traffic, matters are expected to ease up in the road link. Around 1.25 lakh vehicles cross the road daily and around 250 cars are added every day. The sea link could therefore end up saving around Rs 100 crore in a year for commuters, claims MSRDC.
So, despite what environmentalists have to say, this monument will now represent the new Mumbai and the steady makeover it has begun to witness. There are as many as 16 mega-flyovers being lined up, there?s a proposed monorail project and several other infrastructure undertakings will hopefully give Mumbai a new look.
The Maharashtra government has sanctioned Rs 6,643 crore for infrastructure and transport projects in the city and its suburbs. These projects include the prestigious Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) and the Extended Mumbai Urban Infrastructure Project (MUIP). Around Rs 500 crore will be spent on the ongoing MUIP, Rs 468 crore on the Metro Railway Project, Rs 300 crore for Mithi River Development Project and Rs 6 crore towards Station Area Traffic Improvement Scheme with skywalks and shopping plazas. Then there is the Navi Mumbai International Airport slated to come up in the Kopra-Panvel area.
In the 1995-99 period Mumbai had witnessed a huge makeover: around 55 flyovers were commissioned and many of them really did ease commuting time. The Mohammad Ali Road flyover cut commuting time by at least 45 minutes and is still seen as a major boon. The 93-kilometre long Express Highway that links Mumbai and Pune made the two cities just three hours away from each other.
Yes, the sea link was a long time in coming: nine years from conception to inaugaration. But Mumbaikars, who haven?t had a lot to cheer for lately, are not complaining right now. They are looking at an architectural and engineering marvel and a big urban infrastructure project that will bring direct benefits to the city. There?s optimism?not a commodity in excess supply in the city?that Mumbai may yet manage a makeover.