Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday officially opened the country’s longest sea bridge in Mumbai, the latest project completed in a vast government infrastructure programme.
The 21.8-kilometre bridge will connect the wealthy South Mumbai area of the financial hub with Navi Mumbai, a satellite city.
It will reduce the two-hour journey between the two urban centres to 20 minutes.
The bridge is called Atal Bihari Vajpayee-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu bridge, after the late former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
“The inauguration of Atal Setu exemplifies India's infrastructural prowess and underscores the country's trajectory towards a Viksit Bharat [developed India],” Mr Modi said after the inauguration.
“The project not only provides services but also generates employment. More than 17,000 labourers and 1,500 engineers got jobs during the construction of this bridge.”
The bridge, which cost 178 billion rupees ($2.14bn) to build, is 17 times heavier than the weight of the steel used in the construction of the Eiffel Tower.
Construction began in 2018 and the six-lane structure is the 12th longest sea bridge in the world.
It stretches about 16.5km over the sea and 5.5km on land. About 70,000 vehicles are expected to cross the bridge daily.
Car drivers will have to pay 250 rupees ($3) for a single journey to cross the bridge, with higher tolls for larger vehicles.
Mumbai, a city of about 23 million, lacks adequate road infrastructure and commuters are often stuck in traffic jams.
Navi Mumbai is a satellite city outside Mumbai that is home to several multinational corporations, start-ups and educational institutions.
The bridge will also improve connectivity between both Mumbai International Airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport, officials said, while reducing travel time from Mumbai to the neighbouring district of Pune, and the coastal state of Goa, and South India.
The maximum speed for four-wheel vehicles has been kept at 100kph, while two-wheelers, tractors, and autorickshaws will not be allowed on the bridge.
Mr Modi later launched several other infrastructure development projects in the state.
India has built almost 50,000km of national motorways since Mr Modi came to power in 2014, with the national total now 145,155km, according to government figures.
The country goes to the polls for national elections this year, with Mr Modi currently leading in the opinion surveys.
Washmen Profile
Date Started: May 2015
Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Laundry
Employees: 170
Funding: about $8m
Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 1 Manchester City 2
Huddersfield: Otamendi (45' 1 og), van La Parra (red card 90' 6)
Man City: Agüero (47' pen), Sterling (84')
Man of the match: Christopher Schindler (Huddersfield Town)
RESULTS
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The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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The biog
Hobbies: Writing and running
Favourite sport: beach volleyball
Favourite holiday destinations: Turkey and Puerto Rico
