One of the longest bridges in India, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), which will connect Mumbai’s Sewree to Nhava in Raigad district, is likely to charge a fee of Rs 350 for one way. The concerned authorities of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which has been working on the project for a very long time have already proposed the toll fee offer to the state government.
According to a Indian Express report, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority had initially fixed Rs 500 as toll for a single trip. The rate was fixed based on estimates made by Japan International Cooperation Agency, which is providing development loan assistance. It has been revised by the Urban Development Department (UDD) to Rs 350 per car. The report further adds, that the toll will increase by 6% every year. Apart from cars, mini buses will pay Rs 560, bus/2-axle trucks Rs 1,180, 3-axle trucks Rs 1,290, 4-6 axle vehicles Rs 1,850 and oversized vehicles Rs 2,250. The Rs 17,843-crore, 21.8-km-long MTHL will be India’s longest sea bridge, connecting Sewri in Mumbai to Chirle in Navi Mumbai. The bridge, of which 16.11 km has been built on water, will have six lanes. The MTHL will reduce the travel distance from South Mumbai to Chirle by around 30 km and as it will take around 16 minutes to cross the bridge, it will save at least an hour.
The construction of the bridge began in 2018. While it was expected to be open to the public in 4.5 years, the project was delayed by eight months due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Earlier, the bridge was supposed to be inaugurated on December 25, but it missed the deadline. Notably, the bridge has passed the load-carrying capacity tests held over the last fortnight and is ready to be opened for vehicular traffic.