For a brief recap on this ambitious - and long-delayed project - do read my earlier post here or visit the project's website.
Quick facts - Its a 6km long road which will connect Bandra Reclamation to Worli Seaface. It is slated to cost about Rs1,306crores and is (as its signboard will tell you) expected to be completed a year from now, i.e. April 2008.
If this does get completed on time, the present Congress+NCP Government will use it as a poster boy for vital Mumbai infrastructure that they completed during their tenure. Of course, the utility of the BWSL has always been - and will continue to be - debated. Put simply - how can a project, which is clearly in favour of motorists, be justified, when precious little has been done to boost Mumbai's local trains? And then of course, there are concerns on the environmental impact of the BWSL. Anyway, I'm not touching on these aspects as I've already covered parts of them in earlier posts. This post is specifically on the photos and the progress underway on the project.
Note - if any of the photos look hazy, please click on them for an enlarged views. If any of you readers are kind enough to improve the quality of the photos (I've just touched them up using "I'm feeling lucky" on Picasa), I would really appreciate your help.
Picture 1 - This is what you see if you're standing on Worli Sea Face. One platform jutting out from the road. This is the point of entry/exit to the BWSL from Worli Side. Initially, the flyover over Love Grove was supposed to connect the BWSL to Haji Ali, but I'm not sure if this is the case now.
Picture 2 - Another photo from Worli Sea Face. We'll soon see how this looks like from other places in Mumbai.
Picture 3 - I'm now near Twin Towers and in this photo you can see the same cranes you saw in the earlier photos. This is Worli Village.
Picture 4 - So, this is essentially the work done from the Worli Side on the BWSL. Not much. Wait till you see Bandra.
Picture 5 - For example, this stretch of road looks weird, detached as it is from Worli Sea Face.
Picture 6 - We're now at Chaityabhoomi, Dadar Beach. This is a view of Worli village and you can see some cranes in the background which are the same ones you see in Pictures 1 and 2.
Picture 7 - This is really the progress on the BWSL and what stands of it as of now in May 2007. Notice the stretch coming out of Bandra Reclamation. The entire project is due to be completed by May 2008. Will it? Watch this space. And yes, I wish I had a better camera.
Picture 8 - The central tower of the BWSL, which I think will be 128metres high once it is complete.
Picture 9 - The work from the Bandra side. You can see both hotels - Sea Rock and Taj Land's end in the background. We're headed there in a bit.
Picture 10 - This is what you see if you're at Bandra Reclamation. Note the central tower, with green covers on top and the strip of road, seen in picture 5 above, from the Worli Side.
Picture 11 - The entrance at Bandra Reclamation, entry beyond which is currently restricted. The signboard says it all. 30th April 2008, 4.7km (I think this is just the stretch of road from Reclamation to Worli Sea Face, while the additional 1.5km is the distance from the Bandra main signal to this entrance at the end of Bandra Reclamation).
Picture 12 - In this photo, you can see clearly see the ramp which leads up to the link. So, the entire stretch of road on Bandra Reclamation (i.e. the same road where so many movies have been shot) is connected to the sea-link. A lot of the construction trucks ply here everyday.
Picture 13 - We're now at Band Stand, almost end of journey. This is what the above area (Picture 12) looks like from the other side. This part was already built a year back (these are my earlier photos, shot a year back, from this same location)
Picture 14 - End of the road. This is the view from the Band Stand point, note that platform stretching out from the bottom of the pillars to the central tower (green cover on the top). Wonder what's that for.
20 comments:
seems they are really hurrying up wid the work ...hope they not using spurious stuff damn that can become quite dangerous...hope for the best and let them complete the work on time for a change...
wow thats a very good effort on ur part, to keep us posted! mumbai does matter
Nikhil and Red Soul - thanks for your visit and comments!
Thanks for the visuals! The fuzzy mind images associated with a long discussed project didn't prepare me for you photos. It took me aback seeing the pylons in context ...
Thanks Shrimpy.
mm - hope you saw the TOI article today on the BWSL thievery.
page 4, july 9 2007.
CSM - thanks for that link. Pity they're not taking of the site, surprising considering its partly a private venture.
Damn good pictures but the project has got into political embroilment... What you see is the construction of the ambitious Bandra - Worli Sea Link, work is on in full force - it's supposed to be completed by 2008. Well, honestly, we'll just have to wait and see. Looking from all the angles it is such a lovely picture, but also gloomy when you see it's incomplete. When is this bridge going to be complete..??
Photographer Peter
Photographer Peter - Thanks for the visit and the comment. News reports seem to suggest that work has stopped due to issues between the contractor (HCC) and the Government and the new date of completion is now Dec-2008.
Good Work dude! I just wanted to see a detailed blog on the sealink and this was just what I was looking for!
Thanks Neel!
Chief,
I have some pictures of the Sea link I took on Feb 27th, 2006 from Taj Land's end. I can send it to you if you are interested.
Pl send me your email address.
Hemant
Hi Hemant - Thanks for the comment. My email address is bombayaddict[at]gmail[dot]com
hi friends - have posted some photographs of Mumbai - on mumbaikarsjourney.blogspot.com
Nick - thanks for the comment.
This project was actually planned to be completed by 2006. But as usual, the constractors wanted big mmoney and the msrdc people didnt wanted to gave that and then it was a long court battle. Then came the issue of slums on the worli side. This also delayed the project. The final cost of the project is nearly Rs. 1200 Crores. Nearly 4 times the original cost.....This is where India is heading....I feel very pity when I see China building a 30 kms long bridge in less then 3 years and India cannot complete 4 kms long bridge in 6 years...
This is very very very important.... Security measures to protect this bridge should be planned. There are several enemies out there whose primary target would be this bridge. While the authorities are spending so much money to have this built, they might as well spend some more money and have a barricade constgructed around this and protect people from even getting any closer to the bridge. This will ensure the safety of the bridge. Atleast terrorists like those who recently landed into Mumbai on 11/26 will not get any closer to this structure. If it is kept vulnerable to attacks, I'm sure certain maniacs will lay their eye on this bridge which is a symbol of India's development.
sorry blogger. even though u have put up ur views agnst mumbais latest asset. i think u should review the pros then the cons. 1stly i question ur facts . when the project itself is called BANDRA - WORLI sea link, how do u expect it to end at worli? secondly , as i travel both by trains and road towards suburbs . ican surely say this is much much needed link bridge. i know we dont have the adequate infrastructure to support it, but hey nothing is perfect is it ? we should not take this bridge as myth but as a boon. now that the latest ring road profect around mumbai is under the hammer, it will only benefit the traffic all around. While honestly i think a lot has been done for the trains, but its just that we as citizens are never satisfied, not that i am very happy with the train system and infrastructure .. but dont u think the way ahead for the city is any infrastructue be it bridge or another railway track. im not opposing ur views. but i think we shoudnt blog and get people negative about this bridge. i think it will be wonderful in the long run ..
pls dont be offended . its just my view.
Today as the sea link has been inaugrated...It's a nice effort by you to provide the pictures during construction......
dream comes true.
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