work had been completed. The first pier of the MTHL was built at Sewri on 18 May 2019. The MMRDA stated that it had begun pre-segment casting work, a precursor to the superstructure for bridge deck construction, on 7 August. Each segment of the viaduct weighs 75 tonnes with dimensions 14.8m x 3.32m x 3.85m. Over 10,000 such segments will be cast. The segments are built at two precast segment yards, one on the Mumbai side and another on the Navi Mumbai side. The first segment will be erected on the Sewri side about 6 km into the sea. MMRDA officials announced the completion of the pre-casting work on 9 August. Officials also stated that they had completed the construction of 270 permanent piles, of which 177 were in the sea. The agency had also completed the construction of a 2 km long temporary access bridge. Casting for the first segment of Package 3 of the project began on 12 September 2019. On the same date, MMRDA officials also stated that 20% of the total project work had been completed. The first girder, weighing 1,000 tonnes, for the MTHL was launched on 15 January 2020 marking the erection of its first span. The project faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 5,000 workers had been deployed on the project prior to the pandemic, but this was reduced to around 2,000 workers by June 2020. An estimated 27% of the total project work had been completed by June 2020, and 35.29% by November 2020. The BMC Tree Authority granted permission to the MMRDA to cut 454 trees and transplant another 550 trees for the MTHL project on 2 December 2020. The MMRDA stated that it would also plant 2,000 trees in Vasai to compensate for the loss. The agency stated that 40% of the total project work had been completed by the end of June 2021. Minister of Urban Development and Public Works (Public Undertakings) Eknath Shinde's Public Relation Office stated in August 2021 that 52% of the project work had been completed. It also noted that 8,189 staff and labourers were currently deployed on the construction site, and that about 8 months of work days were lost as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The MMRDA stated that it had completed 76% of the total project work on 11 April 2022. On 15 September 2022, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde