Motorists heading towards the western suburbs via the Bandra-Worli sea link will have to wait till February or March for the separate four lanes on the link to be commissioned.

This is because dismantling of the three huge trusses (the machines that lift the segments from the ship and fit them between the pillars to make a bridge) may overshoot the year-end deadline.

"The structure of the sea link's north carriageway that will carry traffic from Worli end to Bandra will be ready by the beginning of next year ,'' said a senior MSRDC official. One of these trusses was virtually put on the pillars with the help of `Hercules'__one of the world's biggest ship-mounted cranes that was brought from Singapore.

The traffic from the Worli-end of the sea link is proposed to be diverted on this four-lane portion of the total eight-lane link at Worli itself. "The separation of traffic will offer better speed, more room for vehicles and easy access,'' said an engineer.

Source: TNN