A decade after its conception, the link has been firmly established. Bandra to Worli will, hopefully, no longer be an agonising trek. The gates to a faster, pleasanter commuting experience were unlocked by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi at 5pm on Tuesday.
But the opening bell, which was scheduled for midnight on Tuesday, will now ring only at 7am on Wednesday — much to the disappointment of the crowd thronging the gates on Tuesday.
Many motorists who had planned to be the ‘first users’ had to be shooed away by policemen.
One such was advertising professional Lata Hebbar who, driving her new Maruti Ritz, said, “I wanted to be the first to ride on it, thinking it has been thrown open to the public.”
The decision to put off the opening was taken by senior traffic and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) officials.
“After the inauguration, many motorists were seen on both sides of the sea link wanting to have a first-hand experience,” an MSRDC official said. “We decided to avoid any congestion at night, and open it in the morning under the strict supervision of traffic officers.”
The sea link, incidentally, is to be named after formerprime minister Rajiv Gandhi, a suggestion whichcame from NCP chief Sharad Pawar who was, surprisingly, not present at the inauguration.
At around 5pm on Tuesday, Sonia Gandhi, along with Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal, and Union ministers Sushilkumar Shinde, Vilasrao Deskhmukh and GhulamNabi Azad, went to the sea link from the Bandra side.
After the formal inauguration, a coconut was thrown into the sea, as per the tradition of Marathi fisherfolk, “to calm the rough sea”.
Using the occasion, and Sonia Gandhi’s presence, state public works (public enterprises) minister Vimal Mundada asked for financial help in the Sewri-Nhavasheva Mumbai Trans Harbour Link project as well. Meanwhile, Bhujbal emphasised on the need for faster implementation of infrastructure of this magnitude. “We will be starting the work on the Worli-Haji Ali sea link shortly. Once that is completed, the next stage — Haji Ali-Nariman Point —will start. However, is it not possible to start both the phases in one go? If they are completed together, it will give the vehicular traffic in the city a major boost,” said Bhujbal.
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