The Marine Goa Superhighway is finally materialising after decades of delay in resolving issues and starting with preparations. The project with a budget of Rs 26,000 crore is finally taking shape. The goal of this initiative is to reduce traffic congestion on the bustling Mumbai-Goa route and improve transportation options along picturesque coastline.

What is the Marine Goa Superhighway project?

The Marine Goa Superhighway is a route that spans almost 500 kilometres and is planned to run alongside the current Goa highway. The goal is to reduce traffic jams on the crowded Mumbai-Goa highway while offering beautiful vistas of the coastline and Sahyadri mountains.

Highway Features

The Marine Goa Superhighway will have four lanes, just like California’s renowned Pacific Highway. This highway-style layout will link all the coastal towns in Konkan, providing a convenient mode of transportation for both locals and visitors.

Main Characteristics of the Highway

The Marine Goa Superhighway consists of seven large bridges, covering a combined distance of 27 kilometres, that will make transportation and trade easier.

Key Bridge Projects

Several projects are currently in progress on the bridges that connect to the Mumbai-Goa superhighway route. Details show that the project is concentrated on improving road transportation in order to offer a safer and more enjoyable experience. The combined length of all seven bridges measures 27 kilometers. These bridges link different areas, facilitating the movement of people and goods.

Dharamtar Creek Bridge (Karja): A large 10.2-kilometre steel bridge that displays advanced engineering.

Kundlika Creek Bridge: Located between Revdanda and Salav, it spans 3.8 kilometres and links important locations.

Agardanda Creek Bridge (Dighi Agardanda): Yet another cable-stayed bridge, this structure extends over 4.3 kilometres across Agardanda Creek.

Bankot Creek Bridge (Bagmandla Veshwi): The 1.7-kilometer cable-stayed bridge allows for easy transportation over Bankot Creek.

Kelshi Bay Bridge (Kelshi): An access point over Kelshi Bay constructed with a 670-meter long “Box girder” design.

Jaigad Creek Bridge: Spanning a distance of 4.4 kilometres, this cable-stayed bridge improves the connection over Jaigad Creek.

Kunkeshwar Bridge: Connects important locations in Kunkeshwar with a length of 1.6 kilometres and a cable-stayed design.

Mumbai: Ahead of Maharashtra assembly elections, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) leader Sanjay Raut made serious allegations against the Election Commission of India and the Supreme Court of India, saying both the institutions are B and C teams of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

Speaking with the media on Saturday, the Sena (UBT) MP said that the Election Commission has taken some decisions which favours the BJP and Shiv Sena-led by Eknath Shinde. “The Election Commission’s decisions are in a way to put opposition in problem and not in the interest of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Despite of this, we are standing strong. The Election Commission and Supreme Court are not neutral,” Raut alleged.

On October 15, the Election Commission of India declared the polling schedule for the Maharashtra assembly elections and since then, code of conduct has come into effect. However, MVA has been alleging that the Mahayuti government has violated the model code of conduct and published government decisions on the website with previous dates.

Speaking on MVA’s seat-sharing for Maharashtra elections, Raut said that MVA has finalised formula for 200 seats, however, he alleged that Maharashtra Congress leaders are not capable of taking quick decisions which is delaying the candidate announcement. He plans to discuss with Rahul Gandhi today (October 18), Raut said.

In another development, a list of Congress candidates for Maharashtra assembly elections was leaked on Friday. Debunking the list as a ‘fake’ one, the Maharashtra Congress urged the voters to not believe in the rumours and wait for the official announcement.

The voting for 288 assemblies in Maharashtra will take place on November 20 and results will be declared on November 23.

Mumbai: The temperature in Mumbai is 29.57 °C. The forecast for the day shows a low of 26.6°C and a high of 32.7°C. There is 85% humidity and the wind is blowing at 9 km/h. The sun will come up at 06:33 AM and will go down at 06:13 PM.

Tomorrow’s Weather Forecast

On Saturday, October 19, 2024, Mumbai is predicted to have temperatures ranging from 27.76 °C to 28.65 °C according to IMD. The humidity levels are expected to reach 78% tomorrow.

The city is expected to receive additional rainfall over the weekend, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for both Saturday and Sunday. The city is expected to be impacted by thunderstorms, strong winds, and smog resulting from thermal inversion. The morning on Friday was foggy when residents woke up.

The IMD predicts that we will experience light to moderate rainfall starting from Friday, along with thunderstorms and isolated showers. The present weather is a result of a cyclonic circulation over Lakshadweep and an expected upper air cyclonic circulation over the North Andaman Sea.

Weekly Weather Forecast

In the upcoming days, Mumbai is predicted to have partly cloudy skies with intermittent periods of rain or thunderstorms. Temperatures on 18th October will vary between 25°C and 34°C, with occasional rain or thundershowers expected. Temperatures in the city will range from 26°C to 33°C from the 19th to the 23rd of October, with a chance of moderate rain or thunderstorms every day. Despite lingering clouds, there may be sporadic rain and thunderstorms that residents should anticipate.

Air Quality Index Indicates Decrease In Mumbai

According to a report, while the air quality in Mumbai is generally acceptable, there are concerns about certain areas. Although the city had an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 75, specific areas such as Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mazgaon, Navy Nagar in Colaba, and Vasai West experienced moderate pollution levels.

PM10 was recognised as the primary contaminant. Overall AQI in Mumbai falls in the ‘Poor’ category..