Bandra Worli Sea Link is finally ready to ferry vehicles

[Speed-Freak]

Guys,

The Bandra-Worli Sea-link has finally been thrown open to public yesterday, this is India's first suspension bridge though not pillarless.
Has anybody in Team-bhp got a chance to go over the link and click some pictures. Heard lot of versions on the cost of toll varying from Rs. 50, Rs. 75 etc.

Our government finally after 12 long years managed to pull this off but dont know whether we should congratulate them or spank them, just an example, 4 out of the worlds longest 10 over sea links are in China and almost all of them have come up in the last 10 years, the longest one is about 34 kms and took 4 years to build. The bridge connects Shanghai to the industrial city of Ningbo across Hangzhou Bay and shortens the distance between them from approximately 400 km to just 80 km, thus reducing about 320 kms of drive.

Our government should get trained from the chinese government on how to handle key infrastructure projects.

Keep posting your views and pictures on this.

[jkdas]

Looks great; checked it out at
Rediff iShare: Laser Show at Bandra Worli Sealink

[dhrishikesh]

Yesterday, there is a awesome laser show. Nice to see the fireworks.
Will love to see the same fireworks & also a laser show on the night of 51st December like Aussies to the same @ Sydney Harbor Bridge.

[sgiitk]

Brilliant. I am just waiting for our Babudom to $crew things up. Very soon they will demand - no tolls for govt vehicles, etc etc.

I hear two wheelers are not allowed since gusts of winds may be dangerous for them.

[muralisk]

Saw it on TV last night and it looks awesome. Finally, we have something we can call world class. I feel it is important to avoid bikers on this as sgiitk rightly said that winds would be dangerous for bikers. I only wish, this new bridge had been a double layer rather than a single carriage.

[phamilyman]

I am already rubbing my hands with glee.

Just like the endless freeloaders in Delhi who flash a ministry of finance I card (e.g) to not pay toll and MUST only pass through the tag lane, as well as those illiterate fools who must enter a tag lane without tag and take out a Rs 500 note for Rs 18 toll - here's to your ilk in Mumbai.

I'm sure it'll be another example of world class infrastructure suffering bottlenecks because of the wonderful people in this country (i've seen all from the likes of m800, amby, to accord!)

[gpa]

A marvellous piece of engineering. Unfortunately, this will become a terror target considering the iconic status that it receives. Hope the authorities (babus) give it adequate security

[Sahil]

Today, 6pm is when the gates open to the public ! Heading straight down the bridge on my way back from work, have been waiting for this for years since I travel to worli-south bombay almost every night.
However, on the downside, my travel time back from our office in BKC to home in Bandra west is gonna double or triple ! Usually I would go down the sealink road and then make a u-turn at the dead-end to make it home via lilavati hospital. Now I would have to take the U shaped bridge that connects to bandra masjid, which also has a by-lane connecting behind bandra telephone exchange. That road is already jammed with traffic, and now it would increase even more. Sigh- You gain some, you loose some

[kavesh55]

Some facts-

It was conceived in 1990, executed and completed in 2009- 19 years

Originally costed 400+crores, now some 1300+crores - Whos paying the moneys ?

Worli and Haji Ali Junction is already clogged with traffic

Rs. 50 toll for around 7 kms, how many on a daily basis would go ?

Now, consider it a marvel or a sign of public private sector lethargy.

Worli Sea face was one of the few stretches where you could go to unwind. Now it will be a busy thoroughfare

The answer to Mumbai's traffic problem is an efficient public transport that would make people avoid taking their cars, excluding teambhpians of course.
Building freeways only for cars, will on the contrary encourage.

Why should Mumbaikars pay for the Rs. 50 toll after paying cess on fuel additionally for roads and bridges ?

[pranavt]

Well, one less place to test out a car's performance. And one less place to hang out. If they're banning bikers, are they also going to ban the unstable load-carrying vehicles that occupy the right-most lane and go at 10kph? Or is the price for that very reason?

[President]

VOW!

Car, Cam and my Family are getting ready to witness this inaugural historical run tonight.

[dhrishikesh]

Going tonight from Sea Link in friend's new Swift DZire VDi...
Camera getting ready.
A Marathi newspaper, Maharashtra Times mentions that at the mid of bridgr, visitors can stop & can have look at Mumbai, my dream city.
& other thing for which I am going today from sea link as there is no toll for first four days !!!

[sriku]

Originally Posted by Sahil

Today, 6pm is when the gates open to the public ! Heading straight down the bridge on my way back from work, have been waiting for this for years since I travel to worli-south bombay almost every night.
However, on the downside, my travel time back from our office in BKC to home in Bandra west is gonna double or triple ! Usually I would go down the sealink road and then make a u-turn at the dead-end to make it home via lilavati hospital. Now I would have to take the U shaped bridge that connects to bandra masjid, which also has a by-lane connecting behind bandra telephone exchange. That road is already jammed with traffic, and now it would increase even more. Sigh- You gain some, you loose some

Sir, I don't think you need to take the U shaped bridge via telephone exchange. As per road rules, all exits need to be on the left of the road, and in this spirit, the bandra promenade road would be opened for traffic wanting to use the sealink entry road and take a left before the bridge (where you now take a sharp right), go via the promenade under the sealink entry road towards bandra reclamation bus depot, then find your way towards Bandra West via Mehboob studio or the smaller lanes around the Lilavati area. In the same way, traffic from Worli who want to enter Bandra West would take a left after the bridge ends and merge with the promenade to reach Reclamation bus depot and Lilavati. As these approaches are new, I hope traffic cops set up signs/personnel to direct traffic.

Cheers

[*VT*]

Finally, The Sea Link is now open!
Any exclusive pics anyone?



VT

[GTO]

The fireworks & laser show last night were breathtaking. From my terrace, you have a straight uninterrupted view of the BWSL.

Driving back home last night was a nightmare, it was as if the worli traffic was saying "one last time", I'm hopeful today's drive back home will entail 50% emptier roads from worli onward.

That said, the lack of foresight in some areas is all too evident. The entry point from the worli end is simply too narrow for rush hour traffic. Expect bottlenecks. And why only two lanes on either side? Why not three? Why not plan for the future?