Interesting facts about the Bandra-Worli Sea Link | Fusion - WeRIndia

The Bandra-Worli Sea Link is one of the most famous sea bridges in India. This 8-lane wide bridge connects Bandra in the western suburbs with Worli in South Mumbai.

It is the 4th longest bridge in India, with a length of 5.6 km. It was constructed by the Hindustan Construction Company.

Here are some interesting facts about the Bandra-Worli Sea Link:

• It took 10 years for the complete functioning of the bridge as the construction started in 2000 and finished in 2010.
• UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi inaugurated it on 30th June 2009. However, it was fully functional in 2010.
• Though the sea link was supposed to complete in five years, it was delayed by five years.
• Many environmentalists and fishermen filed Public Interest Litigations against the construction, which caused a delay in the completion of the link and an increase in cost due to changes in the design.
• While the estimated cost of the bridge was ₹13.06 billion, the final cost escalated to ₹16.5 billion.
• The sea link was designed by Seshadri Srinivasan. The bridge significantly reduced the commuting time between Bandra and Worli from 60 minutes to 10 minutes.
• Around ₹9 crores were spent on illuminating the bridge. It consumes 1,000 KW power a day which can fulfil the electricity needs of around 100 households.
• The bridge was named after Rajiv Gandhi, former and late Prime Minister of India, and its official name is Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link. However, it is popular as Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
• Around 90,000 tonnes of cement was used to build the bridge. Its weight is almost equal to that of 56,000 African elephants.
• The height and width of the bridge are 413 feet and 66 feet. The steel cables used for the construction are equal to the circumference of the earth. They are so strong that they can hold 900 tonnes of weight.
• Workers from not just India, but from other countries like China, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Canada, Britain, and Switzerland were involved with the construction of the sea link.

Image by PDPics from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)

Image Reference: https://pixabay.com/photos/bandra-worli-sea-link-167064/