Bandra Worli Sea Link: An Architectural Marvel

After being questioned about its authenticity and credibility for years, the Bandra Worli Sea Link transformed from a project that was a part of reckless development to an infrastructural brilliance for the world to witness. The Worli Sea Link is the epitome of a well-planned structure and state-of-the-art surveillance system.     

This sea link has not only proved its mettle as a ₹16 billion project but has also been enduring the brunt of the weather for 10 years now. Let’s take a glance at the features of the humongous project in detail. 

In-depth Details About Worli Sea Link

The distance between Bandra-Worli Sea Link has been reduced to 4.7 km through its invention. The commuters have also been blessed with a reduced journey time from over an hour to just 10 minutes. The Bandra Worli Sea Link project, which is a sight to behold, has a height of 126 meters with a width of 66 feet. The robust bridge is capable of holding the burden equivalent to 55,000 elephants. 

History of Bandra Worli Sea Link

Before developing this ubiquitous project, the western suburbs and the main business district of Mumbai were connected through the Mahim Causeway. This resulted in high congestion on the North-Southwestern corridor during the peak mobility hours, as it was the only road connecting the two. It would take up to 60-90 minutes to travel from one end to the other.

This led to the genesis of the Western Freeway, the concept which was aimed to provide an alternative route to the Mahim Causeway. 

The foundation stone for the sea link was laid down by the then supreme leader of the Shivsena, Balasaheb Thackeray, in 1999. The project, which was supposed to be delivered in 5 years with an estimated construction cost of ₹6.6 billion, was ultimately completed in 10 years, with the overall cost hovering at ₹16 billion. The completion of the Sea Link bridge was hampered due to the multiple public interest litigations. However, the Bandra Worli Sea Link opened its door to the public in 2009-2010. 

The Worli Sea Link was allowed for vehicular traffic with only four lanes in 2009. The entire sea link was fully functional in March 2010, when Sonia Gandhi, the UPA Chairperson inaugurated it.      

Planning, Designing & Architecture of Bandra Worli Sea Link

The brawny and prepossessing Bandra Worli Sea Link has quickly become a tourist attraction and a significant landmark in Mumbai, owing to its spectacular design and exquisite features. This project initiated by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) had hired engineers from all over the world, including China, India, Egypt, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Serbia, Philippines, Thailand, Britain, and Canada, for its construction.

The entire structure of the Sea Link Bridge is segregated into three parts: the central cable-stayed pans, the North end viaduct and the South end viaduct. These concrete-steel viaducts present on either side of the link are the heaviest precast segments that have been built in India. The construction of this link was completed in five phases, from the Love Grove junction to the Abdul Gaffar Khan Road. 

The architects came across the challenge of building the bridge pylons sturdily. This was achieved by intelligent geometric engineering. It resulted in a strong foundation of the sea link bridge along with achieving the desired aesthetics. The main structure of this bridge is, to date, the longest concrete deck that has been constructed successfully. The Worli Sea Link is also the first project in Mumbai which has been erected using seismic arresters, which makes it earthquake resistant up to 7.0 on the Richter scale.  

Unknown Facts About Bandra Worli Sea Link

• The Worli Sea Link is the first-ever cable-stayed bridge that has been constructed over the Indian sea. 
• The original Bandra Worli sea link name is ‘Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link’. 
• The sea link endures traffic of 37,500 vehicles on a daily basis. 
• Seshadri Srinivasan is the person behind the stellar design of the bridge.
• An exorbitant amount of ₹9 crores has been spent for illuminating the magnificent sea link. 
• The sea link bridge uses 1000 KW power in a day which is enough to light up around 100 households. 

 Entry Fees of Bandra Worli Sea Link

The Worli Sea Link has 16 approach lanes which are present both ways at the Bandra end for collecting the toll. 

The Worli Sea Link toll costs around ₹70 to ₹145 depending on the type of vehicle (Car/Heavy vehicle/LCV) for a one side journey. On the other hand, the prices for the return journey have been fixed from ₹105 to ₹215. A single day pass is available from ₹175 to ₹360.

Opening Hours of Bandra Worli Sea Link     

The Bandra Worli Sea Link is open 24/7 throughout the year. 

Nearby Places & Things to do at BWSL

You can explore or visit Haji Ali Dargah, Mahalakshmi Temple, Siddhivinayak Temple, Worli Fort, Dhobi Ghat, and Mahalakshmi Race Course if you travel through the Worli Sea Link. 

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