Glimpses of the Bandra Worli sea link

Mumbai will get a new landmark with the completion of the work on the 5.8 km long Bandra-Worli Sea Link project. The project is a 8-lane, cable-stayed bridge with pre-stressed concrete viaduct approaches, which will link Bandra and the western suburbs of Mumbai with Worli and central Mumbai. The Rs 1306 crore project of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is being executed by Hindustan Construction Company and is likely to be completed by January 2009. The Maharashtra government has announced the extension of the sea link by another 3.6 km up to Haji Ali at an additional cost of Rs 1,200 crore.

The Bandra Worli sea link project has certain unique features. These include:--An 8-lane bridge with 2 lanes dedicated for buses.--Unique bridge design for the Link Bridge to emerge as a land mark structure in the city.--Single tower supported 500 metre long cable-stayed bridge at Bandra Channel and twin tower supported 350 m cable-stayed bridge at Worli Channel for each carriageway.--Modern toll plaza of 16 lanes with automated toll collection system.--An intelligent bridge with state-of-art systems for traffic monitoring, surveillance, information and guidance, instrumentation, emergency support, etc.--Development of promenade and landscaping to enhance the environment.

Length of the steel wires used is equal to the circumference of the earth.Weight of the Sealink Bridge is equivalent to the weight of 50,000 African elephantsHeight of the cable-stay towers equals that of a 43 storied building and the length of the Sealink Bridge is 63 times the height of the Qutub Minar.

Several benefits will accrue from the project. They include:--Estimated savings in Vehicle Operating Costs (VOC): Rs. 100 Crores per annum.--Considerable savings in travel time (20 to 30 minutes) due to increased speed and reduced delays (23 signals avoided)--Stress-free driving.--Reduced accidents.--Reduction in traffic on existing roads because of traffic diversion to the Sea Link. --Reduction in Carbon Monoxide and Nitrogen Oxide Levels in Mahim, Dadar, Prabhadevi and Worli along existing roads.--Reduced noise pollution in Mahim, Dadar, Prabhadevi and Worli along existing roads.--No adverse effect on fisheries, marine life and livelihood of fisherman.--Landscaping along the approaches and waterfront promenade will enhance the environment and add green spots to the city.

(via MSN.com)