naaz

Bombay's Bridge Over Troubled Traffic

Mumbai's long-delayed bridge may be more of a showpiece than a solution to its legendary traffic jams.

Even at the best of times, navigating traffic-choked roads in Mumbai isn't for the fainthearted. As the monsoon clouds hover over the Arabian Sea starting June, they herald the worst of times for commuters in India's financial capital, situated on the country's western coast. This monsoon holds the promise of some reprieve for a certain section of the city's 19 million residents.

The state-owned Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation is set to open its much-delayed showpiece project: the 4.7 km (2.9 mile) Bandra-Worli Sealink, India's longest ocean bridge. It is to be inaugurated by Congress party president Sonia Gandhi on June 30.

A cable-stayed engineering feat with twin four-lane carriageways (of which only one side is ready for now) it connects the city’s western suburbs to the business districts in south and central Mumbai. For a 50 rupee toll ($1) each way, it will cut down the distance by 2 miles but more crucially is expected to save 25 precious minutes of travel time. "It is well designed and well built, with no compromise on quality," observed veteran civil engineer Shirish Patel, chairman emeritus of Mumbai firm Shirish Patel & Associates Consultants.

Mumbai's 1.2 million car owners have waited long enough for it. Plagued by delays and massive cost overruns, issues typical to state-sponsored infrastructure projects in India, the bridge took nine years and cost $340 million to build. By comparison, China's 36 kilometer (22 mile) Hangzhou Bay Bridge, the world's longest sea-crossing bridge, over seven times the length of the Mumbai bridge, took four years to get completed.

"In a democratic country, delays are inevitable," said Devendra Sharma, project chief engineer at Hindustan Construction Company, the Mumbai construction firm that built the bridge. Sharma recounted that while the contract for the bridge was awarded to Hindustan Construction in 2000, actual construction work only began in 2004. An exhibition center at the suburban entrance to the bridge, traces the milestones and challenges of executing the project.

From the start, the bridge was beset by problems. It faced a slew of public interest law suits and underwent frequent design changes both before and after construction began. The design engineering firm was replaced midway. The two cable-stayed portions of the bridge were added when local fishermen protested that it would block their access to the sea. "The bridge as it stands today bears little resemblance to its original design," acknowledged Sharma.

But not so, presumably, its original purpose. The sea link is the first part of the ambitious, and some say misguided, Western Freeway Sea Project aimed at providing a faster alternative to Mumbai's north-south traffic that currently moves at a crawling pace. Today, an estimated 125,000 cars travel daily in each direction with 250 more cars piling on every day on roads that haven't been widened in decades despite the rising car population.

Experts are skeptical that the bridge will do much to ease the city's traffic congestion, suggesting that it may in fact, add to it. Debi Goenka, executive trustee of Conservation Action Trust, an environmental non-profit dubbed it as "an expensive non-solution" that will lead to increased congestion in South Mumbai and choke the city's roads further. He cited a 1994 feasibility study by WS Atkins, a U.K. engineering firm, which concluded that a freeway would only shift bottlenecks around rather than increase the city's traffic carrying capacity.

Transportation and town planning experts question the raison d'être of the bridge itself in a city where 92% of the population travels by public transport. Mumbai's suburban railway system for example, carries 6.3 million commuters daily. "A capital-intensive infrastructure project aimed at cars when the focus should be on more sustainable modes of transportation, is not doing a favor to Mumbai," said Bina Balakrishnan, a transportation and engineering consultant. "The government should have used the money to beef up mass transportation."

Looming on the horizon, the bridge adds an impressive dimension to Mumbai's skyline but environmentalists claim that lurking below is a not so pretty picture. Building the bridge involved reclaiming 27 hectares of land which narrowed the mouth of a local river. That led to disastrous consequences in July 2005 when after a heavy downpour, the river overflowed and the city got flooded. This could well recur, predicted Darryl D'Monte, chairperson, Forum of Environmental Journalists of India. "The combination of high tides and heavy rain can cause flooding in the creek again and possibly sever north from south Mumbai," he said.

Unmindful of such dark prophecies, the state government has moved determinedly ahead inviting bids to construct the second part of the freeway. The two bidders in the fray are Hindustan Construction and Reliance Infrastructure, part of billionaire Anil Ambani's Reliance ADA Group. Said Goenka, the environmentalist: "Our worst fears are coming true."

ramdas

Traffic jams on 7-minute Mumbai sea link

1 Jul 2009: MUMBAI: It was houseful on India's first open sea bridge on Wednesday, celebrities and commoners came out in droves to drive up and down the newly opened engineering marvel on the sea, leading to hour-long traffic snarls at both ends.

When the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL) was thrown open at midnight Tuesday, there were very few vehicles, but by dawn the numbers increased, said an official of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

It looked as though everyone was eager to grab the opportunity to travel free on the bridge till Sunday. The enthusiasm led to traffic snarls.

"In fact, it even exceeded our expectations and by 10 a.m., an estimated 10,000-plus vehicles had already traversed the bridge, and the numbers are only increasing as the weather is quite pleasant," the official said, apparently pleased with the public response.

A majority were youngsters and families out for a joy ride to soak in the beauty of the bridge. Not surprisingly, it took over an hour to reach the 5.6 km-long bridge.

In contrast, there was relatively free-flowing traffic on the Mahim Causeway, which till Tuesday was the only link between south Mumbai and the northwest suburbs, and where motorists used to spend 50-80 minutes to clear the eight-km stretch between Worli and Bandra.

Massive traffic snarls were witnessed since morning at the northern (Bandra) and southern (Worli) entry-exit points as motorists rushed to experience the drive above the sea.

"It's a beautiful experience. Feels like driving to Goa or some foreign county, the sea on both sides, a cool breeze, making it a memorable drive," gushed adman Prahlad Kakkar, who sat next to film star Naghma who was at the wheel, negotiating the heavy traffic on the BWSL.

Though the bridge is designed for a 100-kmph speed, initially only 50 kmph shall be permitted. However, on the opening day, the speeds were barely 20 kmph.

Dukool Pandya, a professional residing in Vile Parle, went with his family at 9am but managed to reach Worli only at 11.30, perspiring profusely after the effort.

"Mumbaikars are floored by the on-sea driving experience. At this rate, the government may have to consider another sea link around Mumbai soon," he observed.

Though Mumbaikars owning vehicles shall get to experience the joy of commuting on the BWSL, the commoners who travel by the BEST public buses may have to wait some more time to realise their dream ride.

The BEST has demanded that its buses be exempted from the proposed Rs100 toll per trip on the bridge, but the state government has not yet responded, an official of the transport company said.

"We are awaiting the state government's reply, until then we have decided not to ply BEST buses on the bridge," a BEST spokesman said. He declined to reveal how many routes shall use the bridge.

The Rs.1,634-crore sea link, in construction for 10 years, was thrown open Tuesday by United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Following a demand by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, the bridge will be named after former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, chief minister Ashok Chavan had announced.

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With no toll till July 5, the number of vehicles using this bridge would be huge and traffic snarls are expected to continue at both the ends, police said.

The Rs 1,600-crore Bandra-Worli sea-link, an alternative route to south Mumbai from the western suburbs, was inaugurated yesterday by Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Many people travelled for the first time on the bridge enjoyed their ride. But they also complained that it took 35 minutes to pass the bridge. "We thought it would be like any other express highway and we would enjoy a speed ride, watching the sea. The experience was pretty good. It took 35 minutes to reach Worli from Bandra, thanks to traffic," Valentine Fernandes (32), a real estage agent said.

"I expect the traffic will be bad on the bridge as there is no toll for the next five days," said D Chauhan, who works in Worli.

Considered as an engineering marvel, the cable-stayed bridge, a first-of-its-kind in India, is providing a free way through the sea and expected to reduce travel time between the two points from the present 60-90-minutes to 10 minutes.

The 4.8 km-long and eight-lane bridge project was commissioned by the Maharashtra State Road development Transport Corporation (MSRDC) and Maharashtra Government and has been built by Hindustan Construction Company (HCC).

About 1.25 lakh vehicles are expected to travel on the bridge daily.

"We are meeting international standards," Krishnalal Kalhar (32), a taxi driver, said. With only four-wheelers being allowed on the brige, passengers are hiring taxis to have a view of the wonderful structure, Kalhar added.

But those who have two-wheelers are a unhappy lot with the government not allowing them on the bridge. "The experience altogether would be different when you ride your bike on the bridge. Hope, two-wheelers would be allowed after the officials open remaining four lanes." Kalhar said.

anita

WHY THE HECK IS IT CALLED "Rajiv Gandhi Setu Bridge". What a shame!

Seems Like Sonia Gandhi funded the Project from her Italian inheritance. ! Way to go Congress!.