Missing panel, illegal halting plague Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link

Motorists stop on the bridge to click pictures, which is strictly prohibited, on Sunday (right) The spot on the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, where a vision barrier panel seemed to be missing. Pics/Kunal C

Days after mid-day revealed that the surface of the Rs 17,843-crore Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) had started peeling off, it has come to light that a panel installed as a vision barrier along the bridge has possibly gotten damaged or gone missing. It has also been seen that motorists are stopping on the structure to click pictures, increasing chances of accidents. Parking or waiting on the bridge, officially known as the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu but commonly referred to as the Atal Setu, is completely restricted, and there are multiple signboards on the bridge warning motorists not to indulge in such activities.

Motorist's account

Kunal C, a motorist, told mid-day, "On Sunday, when I was travelling with my friends from Sewri towards Chirle via the Atal Setu, I was shocked to see that at one spot, a vision barrier panel installed on the bridge was missing. There are clear-cut instructions that people should not stop on the bridge, but we saw motorists halting to click pictures." On January 15, 2024, three days after the MTHL was inaugurated, mid-day highlighted that motorists were stopping on the bridge to click pictures. Following this, the Mumbai Police appealed to the public not to do this.

Advocate Godfrey Pimenta, trustee of the Watchdog Foundation, said, "The Atal Setu stands as a marvel of modern infrastructure, designed to slash travel time and showcase India's engineering prowess. Yet, recent patchwork repairs on the upper road surface and the disappearance or damage of a view clutter panel undermine its poor maintenance standards. Due to the disappearance of the panel, motorists tend to stop on the six lane bridge to click selfies and enjoy the vista. This reckless behaviour creates serious safety risks. It is high time the authorities moved beyond punitive fines and CCTV monitoring. A comprehensive strategy is needed to immediately repair damaged panels and road surface, accompanied by clear signage warning against stopping."

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) sources told this newspaper that time and again, traffic police officers have issued challans to motorists who stop their vehicles on the MTHL. When contacted, MMRDA officials were unavailable for comment by press time. In June 2024, pictures of the cracks on the approach road connecting MTHL from Ulwe towards Mumbai went viral, because of which the MMRDA had to face criticism.

Mumbai Trans Harbour Link timeline

January 2016: MMRDA invited firms for general consultancy and the ministry of environment and forest accorded Coastal Regulation Zone clearance to the project
December 2016: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the sea bridge
December 2017: Civil contractors were appointed
December 2023: The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link's construction was completed
January 2024: The bridge was inaugurated by the prime minister