Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra, stated that the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) bridge will open to traffic in November of this year with up to 90% of the civil work having been completed. A 16.5 km stretch of the 22 km long bridge is above the water. The six-lane MTHL project is being implemented by the MMRDA, a Maharashtra government agency, and it is being funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The MTHL project will connect Navi Mumbai Township and south Mumbai. The 21.8 km, six-lane MTHL project is being implemented by the MMRDA, a Maharashtra government agency, with funding provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. When finished, it will be India's longest sea bridge and can accommodate 70,000 vehicles per day.By building the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), which connects Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, the project aims to improve connectivity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region while reducing traffic congestion and fostering economic growth. He stated that this longest sea bridge in the country will be the first to use the Open Road Tolling (ORT) system. According to Shinde, it will take 15 to 20 minutes to get from Sewri in central Mumbai to Chirle in Navi Mumbai once the bridge is open for traffic. The Open Tolling System will eliminate the need for vehicles to stop on the bridge to pay tolls, he said. According to Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) officials, this system is currently in use in Singapore. MMRDA successfully launched the first longest Orthotropic Steel Deck (OSD) in package-2 of the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) in the presence of chief minister Shinde, according to a press release from the authority. The first longest OSD of package-2 is 180 metres long and weighs 2300 metric tonnes. It is part of a 22-kilometer-long Trans-Harbour link between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. According to the release, MTHL's package 2 has 32 OSD spans, 15 of which have already been launched. See also: MMRDA unveils longest steel deck on Mumbai Trans Harbour LinkMTHL road to be upgraded to intelligent transportation system