Bandra-Worli Sea Link

Abstract

Bandra-Worli Sea Link The final completion in March 2010 of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link marked a significant leap forward in the bridge engineering capabilities of the Indian subcontinent. The structure, with a length of 5,600m, is the first open sea cable stayed structure of its kind and features locally supplied key parts which in the past would have had to be imported from far afield.

The disc bearings manufactured for the bridge by the local subsidiary of an international supplier represented the first use of disc bearings in this part of Asia, while the company also supplied the expansion joints required by the bridge’s entire length. Benefiting from the decades of experience previously amassed by the parent company, the new local operation could quickly become proficient in the manufacture of these complex constructions, providing a manufacturing base in this region for the most technologically advanced bearings and expansion joints in the world.

Conclusion

The new Bandra-Worli Sea Link is a symbol of the great advances of the economy and engineering capabilities of the Indian subcontinent – not only because it is the sort of structure that could grace the skyline of any major city, but due to the involvement of developing local manufacturing which can compete with the world’s best in the supply of complex structural components, another thread in the tapestry of the region’s remarkable ongoing development as a powerhouse of the world economy.