Within six months of opening, road to India’s longest sea bridge develops cracks

Cracks on India's longest sea bridge raise concerns on construction quality, blamed on corruption by Maharashtra Congress.

Cracks have appeared on an approach road to India’s longest sea bridge, Atal Setu, within six months of its opening, raising questions on the construction quality.

The Maharashtra Congress blamed it on corruption by the ruling coalition in the State and the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the sea link – Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu – on January 12 this year. The 21.8 km-long bridge, built at a cost of ₹17,843 crore, has been touted as a game changer for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and an engineering feat.

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Nana Patole inspected the affected site on Friday and accused the State government of corruption to fill its own coffers, “The bridge is named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and it is unfortunate that the government is involved in corruption in his name. PM Modi is the leader of corruption. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coerces corrupt political leaders to join them, after putting the fear of Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation in them.”

Apart from the cracks on the approach road, Mr. Patole claimed that the road had sunk by a foot.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the government body responsible for Atal Setu’s construction and upkeep, said the cracks were not owing to any structural defect. “During an inspection by the Operation & Maintenance team on June 20, minor cracks were found on the road surface at three locations on the ramp towards Mumbai. These cracks are minor and located along the edge of the road,” read an MMRDA statement.

The MMRDA’s clarification note mentioned that the minor longitudinal cracks in the asphalt pavement can be effectively repaired without impacting the life or performance of the pavement.