MMRDA Launches Longest Steel Deck On India's Longest Sea Bridge 'Mumbai Trans Harbour Link'

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has successfully launched the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link's (MTHL) longest Orthotropic Steel Deck, weighing as much as six Boeing aircraft.

The longest Orthotropic Steel Deck (OSD), launched on Monday evening, of package -1 of about 20 km long Trans-Harbour link, is 180 metres long and weighs 2,400 metric tonnes, as heavy as five-six Boeing aircraft, the MMRDA said in a release.

This is the 14th Orthotropic Steel Desk out of the total 38 OSDs to be erected as part of the project.

It is the second 180 metres long OSD of package-1 which was launched on Monday evening. The first one was launched on 1 April this year.

The OSD is a steel deck superstructure that has lesser self-weight than concrete or composite. However, it will carry the vehicular load more efficiently and improve the load-carrying capacity of the bridge as compared to the concrete superstructure for a similar span.

Connecting Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, MTHL reduces the travel time between South Mumbai and Navi Mumbai to just 20 minutes from the present two hours.

The link will also provide direct access to Nhava Sheva Port, Mumbai-Goa Highway, Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the Navi Mumbai International Airport.

All piling-related work for the 22-km long bridge is complete, and road surfacing will begin in February 2023.

Work on the project, a 22-km-long sea-link connecting Mumbai with its satellite city Navi Mumbai, got off to a start in April 2018 with the contractor conducting soil testing in the Nhava Sheva creek.

The project's cost jumped from Rs 4,500 crore in 2005 to Rs 9,360 crore in 2013 and Rs 11,000 crore in 2014. Now, it is pegged at Rs 17,800 crore.

The Japanese International Cooperation Agency is financing 85 per cent of the project. The loan has been offered with a 10-year grace and a 30-year repayment period.

The JICA agreement with MMRDA for the funding was signed in May 2016, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for the project in December 2016.

(With inputs from PTI)