Coastal Road to Bandra-Worli Sea Link to open from tomorrow
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced that northbound vehicles on Coastal Road can directly enter the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai from Friday (September 13). The ₹14,000 crore project is expected to significantly reduce travel time between south Mumbai and its suburbs. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde along with his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar inspected the new connection before its official opening to vehicular traffic on Thursday.
New connection to ease traffic congestion
The new connection will allow northbound vehicles traveling from south Mumbai to Bandra via the Coastal Road to directly enter the sea link between 7:00am and 11:00pm. However, southbound vehicles will continue using the existing route until both arms of the Coastal Road are connected with the sea link. The opening, originally scheduled for late July, was postponed due to excessive rainfall and high tidal waves, which hampered construction.
Phased openings of coastal road project
This is the fourth opening on the Coastal Road, which is being operationalized in phases. The southbound arm from Worli to Marine Drive was opened on March 11, followed by the northbound carriageway from Marine Drive to Haji Ali on June 10 and then from Haji Ali to Worli on July 11. These phased openings have already reduced travel time for motorists, allowing them to reach from Marine Drive to Worli in less than 15 minutes.
Coastal Road project: A journey of challenges and progress
The construction of the ambitious 10.58-km-long Coastal Road project began in October 2018 and has faced several challenges, including protests by the local fishing community. The community demanded an increase in the distance between two pillars of the road for easier boat navigation. In response, BMC agreed to remove a pillar, widening the gap from 60 to 120 meters. Once completed, this road will connect Marine Lines to Worli.
