Mumbai Trans Harbour Link toll to be subsidised by govt, CMO sees proposed ₹500 charge as unrealistic: Report

livemint.com:

Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) – the 23-km bridge connecting Sewri to Nhava Sheva – will be heavily subsidised by the Maharashtra government, a report said on November 27. The toll charge, which is yet to be announced, is likely to be subsidised by around 40-50 percent, the Times of India reported, citing persons privy to the matter.

The newspaper learnt from a senior bureaucrat that the state's urban development department proposed a toll of ₹500. This was seen as unrealistic by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the report added, further noting that the cabinet is expected to approve a subsidy in order to bring down the final toll that will be levied on vehicles.

Also Read: Mumbai to Pune in 90 minutes: India's financial capital is all set to get nation's longest sea bridge MTHL is expected to be inaugurated by January-end, the publication learnt from Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. While it was initially targeted to be opened up on December 25, the birth anniversary of late former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the launch date has been pushed by around another month, he was reported as saying.

The roadway project is expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and is likely to be showcased as one of the key infrastructural developments in Maharashtra ahead of the general elections and Assembly polls next year. Also Read: Mumbai Trans Harbour Link: Everything you need to know The bridge, most of which is constructed over the waterbody between Uran and Mumbai, will connect the Nhava Sheva region – which houses the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) – with south Mumbai's Sewri in around 20 minutes.

At present, the travel duration between the two points stretches to up to 2 hours. Milestone