MUMBAI'S PRIDE : BANDRA WORLI SEALINK OPENS WITH LASER SHOW AND FIREWORKS (PICS)

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Mumbai:    After 10 years of expectations , delays and, of course, hardcore planning and labour, the spectacular Bandra-Worli Sea Link is set to open at midnight on Tuesday. Come Wednesday morning and a new day will dawn for Mumbai's rush-hour motorists, with the Rs 750-crore link offering a new route between the island city and the western suburbs. Till now, the Mahim Causeway was the only route.

A fireworks, lights and laser show, coupled with music, was held on Monday night at the main cable-stayed bridge at the Bandra end. It was enjoyed by thousands from the Bandra promenade and Mahim beach, but was not clearly visible to those at Worli sea face and Dadar due to slight drizzles, haze and cloudiness.

There was no space left at the sea-faces as thousands gathered to view the show, but those at Worli were disappointed, said Anandini Mulgaonkar and Shubha Sehgal of Worli and Bandra, respectively.[/b]

From 12.01 am onwards on Wednesday , officials are expecting joyriders to take the link before office-goers arrive in larger numbers as morning peak hour nears. With no toll from July 1 to July 5, a large amount of traffic is expected. The traffic police will face a daunting task at Worli and Bandra.

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) engineers said the toll-free move is at the behest of politicians seeking political mileage.

An automatic system will identify vehicles going over the 50 kmph limit. MSRDC engineers said cameras on the link can take swift 360-degree turns and capture images of vehicles within 1.5 km. Two cameras fitted under the cable-stayed portions of the link will keep watch on the movements of boats and ships.

While work on beautifying the promenade at Bandra has begun, plans for the highest fountain in the country are on the backburner, but floating fountains may be ready in about six months.

Hindustan Construction Company chairman and managing director Ajit Gulabchand, addressing the media on the eve of the inauguration, said the bridge would be the next landmark of Mumbai after the Gateway of India. "The project has shown us the extent to which accuracy and perfection can be achieved in massive and challenging technical designs,'' he said, adding that the world has seen the might and ability of the planners, engineers and developers of India.[/b]

PUBLIC INAUGURATION
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar will throw open the Bandra-Worli Sea Link at a public function to be held on Tuesday at 3.30 pm at the Mhada ground near Rang Sharda. Gandhi is expected to inaugurate the toll booth, drive to the cable-stayed bridge and visit the exhibition centre first.

Traffic curbs at Bandra
All vehicles will be prohibited on the road to the sea link at the Bandra end as well as K C Marg (Reclamation) on Tuesday from 3 to 8 pm. Traffic police will allow only vehicles engaged in essential and emergency services and the vehicles of invitees to the sea link's opening. People travelling to Chapel Road, Mehboob Circle, Bandstand, Chimbai and Carter Road will have to use S V Road or Hill road. Parking restrictions will be implemented on sea link road, K C Marg, A K Vaidya Marg and adjoining roads.

HEAVY-DUTY BEAUTY
Length of bridge (4.7km): 63 times the Qutub Minar

Weight of bridge (6.7L tonnes): 50,000 African elephants

424 cables for main roadway: can support 900 tons each

Length of steel wire used (37,680km): Nearly the earth's circumference

Concrete used: 2.3 lakh cubic metres

Height of main towers (126m): 43-storey buidling

Pile caps: Bridge rests on 135 pile caps, the largest being 55 m in length and 55 m in breadth (half a football field)

Peak-hour sweat: 4,000 workers and 150 engineers

A NORTH-SOUTH LINK
Mahim Causeway is currently the only route that connects the western suburbs and island city. The Bandra-Worli Sea Link will be the second major route

An MSRDC survey revealed that motorists from the distant suburbs of Borivli, Dahisar, Kandivli and Malad would be more likely to use the sea link. Motorists from Andheri, Parel, Santa Cruz, Juhu and Bandra would be less likely

During peak hours, around 7,000 to 8,000 cars are expected to use the sea link per hour

Since the first five days are toll-free , a large number of people are expected to use the link initially just for the novelty

MATTER OF MINUTES
Currently, it takes 35 to 38 minutes to go the 7.7-km distance between Mahim flyover and Love Grove Junction, Worli

Transport experts estimate that travelling the link plus its approach and exit roads, which also measure about 7.7 km, will take at least 25 minutes

The builders claim that travelling the 4.7-km main link will take just 6 minutes

PAYING THE TOLL

FREE: From July 1 to July 5

BASIC FEE: Car or SUV | Rs 50 | Mini bus or mini truck | Rs 75 | Bus or truck Rs 100

PASSES: Daily travel: (2-way ) | 1.5 times basic toll

Daily travel: (multiple entries) | 2.5 times basic toll

Monthly pass: (all vehicles) | 50 times basic toll

Note: Buses will be charged Re 1 extra for each commuter ticket

PAYMENT MODES
Manual payment: 30 seconds

Swipe card (for monthly passes): 20 seconds On-board-unit electronic payment: 10 to 12 seconds

BIG BROTHER
12 cameras will be monitored by MSRDC, traffic police and city police Link will be under the jurisdiction of Bandra and Worli police stations Two policemen on bikes will patrol Shoulders along bridge will allow traffic police to pull over errant drivers

LENGTH TO TAKE AWAY BREATH
4.7 km Bandra-Worli Sea Link (4 lanes) 4 km Bandra-Worli link (4 lanes; to open later as part of link up to Nariman Point)

Breaking up the link
449-metre toll plaza section at Bandra end with promenades 800-metre pre-cast approach at Bandra end 600-metre cable-stayed bridge at Bandra with two 126-metre tall towers 200-metre pre-cast bridge between Bandra-Worli cable-stayed bridges Two 175-metre cable-stayed bridges at Worli with two 56-metre towers 1,400-metre approach at Worli end 811-metre link at Worli end Another 90 metres or so may make up approaches at either end

LINKS TO THE CITY
Flyover at Love Grove junction, Worli Clover-leaf interchange at Mahim Approach road from Mahim interchange to toll plaza

RISING BOTTOMLINE
Main Link cost: Rs 750 crore Total cost: Rs 1,634 crore Initial cost for main link: Rs 434 crore Costs rose because fishermen complained their livelihood was being disturbed. Re-aligned link was built 150 metres farther from the coastline Harder rock was drilled into Extra cable-stayed bridge put at Worli end at a higher level to allow fishing boats to pass Interest payments rose

STRETCHED DEADLINES
Initial deadline: December 2004 (later revised to December 2007 & December 2008) Bridge completed: April 21, 2009 All allied work completed: May 31, 2009 Delays caused by fisherfolk protests and payment disputes

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[Jayesh Nair]

 

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Thanks Sami

[!! KISHMISH !!]

amazing spectacle zenia thanx for showing ..and the info too a k deserving post surely

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Sonia Gandhi inaugurates Bandra-Worli sea link

The Bandra-Worli sea-link was inaugurated on Tuesday by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, reducing the travel time between the southern part
of the metropolis and its western suburbs from the present 60-90 minutes to 6-8 minutes.

The 4.8-kilometre long, eight-lane bridge will save around Rs 200-crore a year in vehicle operating cost alone.

The sea-link conceived in the 1990s, would thus provide much-needed relief in the congested Mahim Causeway area which records around 1.25-lakh vehicles daily.

Work on the sea-link, which has been constructed by the Ajit Gulabchand-led Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), commenced in October 2004.

The cost of illumination of the bridge would be Rs 9 crore and the height of the cable-stayed tower is equal to a 43-storey building.

[Sαяνєѕн Pяαтαρ Sιηgн]

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