Public enjoys inauguration of sea bridge, raise concerns about traffic disturbances

As the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) opened to the public, hundreds of people flocked to experience the longest sea bridge in the country, with over 8,000 vehicles utilizing it on Saturday. Commuters lauded the quality of the drive but expressed concerns about joyriders halting in the middle of the road for selfies and celebrations. The 21.8 km bridge, hailed as an engineering marvel, is anticipated to attract even more motorists in the days ahead.
Curiosity led hundreds to the 22-km Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), eager to witness the engineering feat and embark on joyrides with their families to gauge the speed of crossing the longest sea bridge in the country. According to MMRDA officials, a total of 8,169 vehicles used the MTHL from 8 am to 6 pm on Saturday.
Social media platforms buzzed with commuters sharing their experiences, with many sharing extensive videos of their journey on the road. Residents from Ulwe, like Harshit Bharanwals, eagerly anticipated the bridge’s commissioning as they had relocated to Ulwe due to the time wasted in traffic. Harshit shared, “I was fed up with commuting to work through the Gokhale Bridge in Andheri. Just for crossing from west to east, around an hour’s time was lost. Just seven months back, I shifted my residence to Ulwe and was eagerly awaiting for the bridge to be opened.” On Saturday, Harshit covered the distance from Ulwe to Sewri in just 12 minutes, a journey that would typically take over an hour, costing him nearly Rs 700 on fuel and Rs 90 on toll.