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.
UAE v IRELAND
All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
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2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
4th ODI, Thursday, January 14
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Key facilities
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
