The Bandra-Worli sea link has already started transforming Mumbai's trafficscape radically.
The Bandra-Worli sea link hasu00a0already started transforming Mumbai's trafficscape radically.
At least 60,000 vehicles drove down the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL) yesterday.
But it took them an hour, not the prophesised seven minutes, to cross the bridge from the Bandra toll naka to the Worli one. And that is without adding the one hour, at the very least, just to get to the Sea Link.
u00a0
Meanwhile, commuters who used the Mahim causeway to get to Worli took a little over 30 minutes, an hour and a half less than BWSLu00a0 users.
u00a0
ADVERTISEMENT
For the BWSL commuters, the wait and the traffic jam, was barely a bother given the pleasure of driving down the cabled spectacle.
u00a0
Said Manoj Gusani, who works in Worli and tried both the routes, "I read it takes just seven minutes to cross the Sea Link, but it took me an hour and 30 minutes.
So, on the way back I used the Mahim Causeway. It took me just 35 minutes, as against nearly two hours on other days."
No traffic
The MiD DAY reporter and photographer found the Worli Century Bazaar junction eerily empty of traffic.
This, despite the fact that there are 23 traffic signals in the 7.7-km distance between Mahim Causeway and Worli.
This distance takes 40 minutes during peak hours and this stretch alone has a traffic density of 1.25-lakh vehicles every day.
Additional Municipal Commissioner R A Rajeev, who took the BWSL to Bandra at 10.30 am, said, "It took me just eight minutes to cross, as I wasn't travelling in the direction of traffic, but on the other lanes [Bandra to Worli] it was bumper-to-bumper traffic.
On the way back I took the nearly empty Mahim Causeway."
u00a0
Added Mohinder Sethi, "Using the Mahim Causeway is a headache on Wednesday because of the mass at the Mahim church, but today despite the mass, the roads were empty."
u00a0
But yesterday, was an exception. "People wanted to take advantage of the toll-free ride and I saw many motorists do a loop and return several times over," said a traffic official.
Before the inauguration of the Sea link, the Hindustan Construction Company officials were anticipating a turnout of 4,000 vehicles per hour, however, from 7 am to 10 am yesterday, there were already 10,000 plus vehicles that had turned up on the bridge.
u00a0
Thrill of driving
But even if we take into account the fact that most of the commuters made the crossing because of the zero toll (on for another four days), the journey between Bandra and Worli is unlikely to improve drastically. Expect of course, the thrill of driving down the cabled beauty.
u00a0
Said Sudhir Badami, a transport expert, "The traffic density will more or less remain the same, so the cut in travel time will be neglibible.
In fact, I think it will take almost the same time as the regular route. Over the next few days Mumbaikars will decide which route to use and there will be traffic re-distribution and we will be able to reach a balance on both the routes.
Crossing the bridge may take seven minutes, but there will be traffic jams to get to the bridge."
PILLAR TO POST RESCUE
A patrol boat carrying four policemen, four crew and a fisherman were stuck in the fishing nets between
the two pillars of the BWSL at 6.30 am yesterday and had to be rescued with the help of the Coast Guard and the Indian Navy.
A Chetak helicopter was used in the rescue mission, which took two hours and 40 minutes. None of the nine suffered any injuries.
1,25,000
Number of vehicles expected to use the bridge daily
Rs 666 cr
Project cost in 1999
Rs 1,634 cr
Final cost after delays, as it ran into environmental problems
500 m
The main span of the cable-stayed portion of the bridge
"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels 
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
