Mumbai, Jan 7 (IANS): The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) due to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi next Friday (January 12), would prove to be a game-changer for the speedy development of the mainland across the harbour from Mumbai, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said here on Saturday.

Reviewing the work of the 'Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu' (the official name) and the preparations for PM Modi's trip, Shinde interacted with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) officials and visited the Traffic Command Centre.

The CM said that the 22-km-long bridge will slash the commuting time from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai on the mainland from the current nearly two hours to barely 20 minutes and help achieve speedy development on the other side.

"The MTHL links Navi Mumbai, Raigad and other cities which would result in attracting new development projects and big corporations to this area, and the entire region will progress and prosper," said Shinde.

Traffic snarls on both sides of the Mumbai Harbour would be history as vehicles will zip through the bridge in barely 20 minutes without affecting the environment or the Ramesar Site flamingo sanctuary below it, he added.

The MTHL will provide quick connectivity and serve as the gateway to the Mumbai-Goa Highway, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Navi Mumbai, Raigad and the entire coastal Konkan which will see more projects coming up in these regions.

The Chief Minister also directed the MMRDA and other agencies to take up beautification of the MTHL with tree plantations in its vicinity and cleanliness on both sides.

The high-speed corridor MTHL is considered an engineering feat and starts from Sewri in Mumbai to Chirle on the Navi Mumbai side to reduce commute time, air pollution, fuel costs and other benefits with a Rs 250 toll per car one-way for one year, after which it will be reviewed. It has been constructed of steel using the steel equivalent of 500 Boeing aircraft and weighs 17 times more than the Eiffel Tower of Paris.

Of its 22 km length, 16.50 km runs in the sea while the remaining 5.5 km is on ground as the approach route on both ends and connects the Mumbai Port Authority and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority.

It is the longest sea bridge built in India and ranks 12th such sea-link in the world, constructed at a cost of over Rs 18,000 crore in seven years.