Atal Setu: ₹18,000 Crore Worth India’s Longest Sea Bridge Opens Today
Atal Setu, India’s longest sea bridge, is opening on January 12. It’s 22 kilometers long and cost Rs 17,840 crore to build.
The sea bridge is named after India’s one of the best and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This ‘Atal Setu’ bridge is a symbol of advanced engineering and connects Mumbai’s Sewri to Nhava Sheva.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has termed the sea bridge as ‘Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu’ or the ‘Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL).’
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first Prime Minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and led the country three times. His ruling period was one of the most golden periods of Indian democracy. He was also known for his poetry and speeches.
When he died in 2018, people wanted to remember him in special ways. So, besides this bridge, there’s a star and four Himalayan peaks named after him. His birthday, December 25, is celebrated as ‘Good Governance Day‘.
The Atal Setu is not just long; it’s built with a lot of materials. It used more steel than the 17 Eiffel Tower and more concrete than the 6 Statues of Liberty! The sea bridge is 4-times bigger than the Howrah Bridge.
It has six lanes and cuts the travel time between Navi Mumbai and Mumbai from two hours to just 20 minutes. This means people can travel faster and easier between these places.
This bridge is also an example of smart and eco-friendly construction. It has special decks, systems to protect marine life, and even an earthquake-resistant feature. It’s like a futuristic bridge with all these advanced technologies.
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The Atal Setu is expected to help in many ways. It will make it easier to reach the Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airports and will connect with major roads like the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Mumbai-Goa Highway.
This can lead to more tourism, a better economy, and more jobs. Every day, about 70,000 people are expected to use this bridge.
