Bandra Worli Sea Link
As a Bandraite I have mixed feelings as the completion date of the Bandra Worli Sea Link comes closer (Dec 08). It’s a great project and an engineering marvel and will probably become a symbol of modern Mumbai. It will change the way we Mumbaikar keep wondering when things will really improve and when we will really move toward the dreams of building a city comparable to Shanghai and being the Financial Capital of this part of the world.
What will be the impact of this much delayed sea link on the lives of us common people living in the suburbs of Mumbai is anyone’s guess. Sometime I wonder in awe about the huge project and at actually being able to build a bridge over the sea. Obviously, it was impossible to build a connection to the “city” to accommodate the endless traffic by widening the roads. The roads in Mumbai are now at possibly the end of widening. We have taken over all the walkways and converted then to roads so where is the question on more widening. So some ‘smart’ guy obviously thought of making the bridge over the sea so that it does not disturb any “celebrity” who does not want a flyover outside their window.
Well, now that we can see the end of the tunnel and the bridge might get completed in the next few months, will it REALLY make a difference or will it just shift the epicenter of the traffic choke to some other place. I sometime shudder to think what it would be like when we will get off the Bandra Worli Sea Link on the Bandra Reclamation side or the Worli Sea Face side. Both sides have small exits that have construction on both sides and already choked traffic. So if you land on the Bandra side and have to get into Bandra, you have to go through the small lanes near Lilavati Hospital and Mount Carmel Church. This road can hardly handle the traffic today and evening traffic jams can take 30 mins to go past a 500 meter stretch so what would happen when more traffic pours into these already choked points.
Now lets look at the Worli Side. Unless the Police and Maharashtra Govt are planning a miracle, there would be a huge choke as soon as we land on the Worli Side. The entire traffic that currently uses the Mahim Causeway and Shivaji Park - Caddel Road belt to reach Worli will use this bridge and come speeding down the sea link and land in Worli where the exits are going to be choked again at the Worli Dairy end.
So I hope someone will use their creativity to ensure we don’t create more problems for ourselves than really solve. Also, the last thing we what is more traffic jams and a promise that these will go away after the link from Worli to Nariman Point is ready!!!
Will the solution to the current traffic problems will really be the sea links or will it be higher capacity public transport system is probably a topic for another blog….
Official Video of Bandra Worli Sea Link. More Video
