IN a new high for infrastructure development in India, the 21.8-km Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, which connects Sewri in Mumbai to Nhava Sheva in Raigad district, was opened last week. Partly traversing the sea (around 16 km) and land (about 5.5 km), it will reduce the travel time between the two places from two hours to 20 minutes, thereby helping motorists save fuel too. Costing Rs 17,840 crore, the bridge, called Atal Setu, is an engineering and scientific marvel. The longest sea bridge of India, it is earthquake-resistant and the concrete structure is designed to withstand the corrosive effect of seawater. It will also ease the vehicular burden on the heavily used Vashi Creek bridge. The use of eco-friendly lights that do not disturb or negatively impact the aquatic life is another laudable feature.

While inaugurating Atal Setu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that ‘this is a glimpse of what a developed India is going to be like’. As India looks to cement its position as a world leader with a robust and fast-growing economy, more such modern symbols of infrastructure that have the potential to transform citizens’ lives with exemplary connectivity are needed to be showcased to the world.

The momentum can be best maintained if the managers of ongoing projects in the country draw inspiration from Atal Setu in terms of adhering to the construction timelines — the massive structure has been completed in seven years (its foundation stone was laid in December 2016). Most major projects are plagued by endless delays and hurdles, which cause the construction cost to escalate. For instance, Mumbai’s Bandra-Worli Sea Link, just one-fourth of Atal Setu’s length, took nearly 10 years to be ready.

(This article was first published by The Tribune, India).