Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday officially opened the country’s longest sea bridge in Mumbai, the latest project completed in a vast government infrastructure programme.
The 21.8-kilometre bridge will connect the wealthy South Mumbai area of the financial hub with Navi Mumbai, a satellite city.
It will reduce the two-hour journey between the two urban centres to 20 minutes.
The bridge is called Atal Bihari Vajpayee-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu bridge, after the late former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
“The inauguration of Atal Setu exemplifies India's infrastructural prowess and underscores the country's trajectory towards a Viksit Bharat [developed India],” Mr Modi said after the inauguration.
“The project not only provides services but also generates employment. More than 17,000 labourers and 1,500 engineers got jobs during the construction of this bridge.”
The bridge, which cost 178 billion rupees ($2.14bn) to build, is 17 times heavier than the weight of the steel used in the construction of the Eiffel Tower.
Construction began in 2018 and the six-lane structure is the 12th longest sea bridge in the world.
It stretches about 16.5km over the sea and 5.5km on land. About 70,000 vehicles are expected to cross the bridge daily.
Car drivers will have to pay 250 rupees ($3) for a single journey to cross the bridge, with higher tolls for larger vehicles.
Mumbai, a city of about 23 million, lacks adequate road infrastructure and commuters are often stuck in traffic jams.
Navi Mumbai is a satellite city outside Mumbai that is home to several multinational corporations, start-ups and educational institutions.
The bridge will also improve connectivity between both Mumbai International Airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport, officials said, while reducing travel time from Mumbai to the neighbouring district of Pune, and the coastal state of Goa, and South India.
The maximum speed for four-wheel vehicles has been kept at 100kph, while two-wheelers, tractors, and autorickshaws will not be allowed on the bridge.
Mr Modi later launched several other infrastructure development projects in the state.
India has built almost 50,000km of national motorways since Mr Modi came to power in 2014, with the national total now 145,155km, according to government figures.
The country goes to the polls for national elections this year, with Mr Modi currently leading in the opinion surveys.
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
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Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
BIG SPENDERS
Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
The specs: 2019 Audi Q8
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 340hp @ 3,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
Stuart Kells, Counterpoint Press
