After a seemingly eternal wait of 35 years since when it was first envisaged, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray laid the first girder of the much-anticipated Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL). The MTHL, once completed, will be India's longest sea bridge at 21.8 kilometres, cutting through the Arabian Sea and connecting Sewri in the mainland to Chirle, which is 16 kilometres away from Panvel. But residents of Navi Mumbai should not hold their breath in anticipation to shorten their exhausting commute. The sea bridge is only expected to be ready in 2022, and is a part of Japan International Cooperation Agency's (JICA) long list of endeavours in India. The total project cost, which has been revised several times, is said to be about Rs.180 billion. Around 70,000 vehicles are expected to ply on the bridge daily. It will also have sound and vision barriers on a 6-kilometre stretch that passes by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and to protect the endangered birds that migrate to the region. The ball has started rolling on the construction, and is expected to even rationalise property rates on both sides of the link.