PM Modi To Inaugurate 1st Phase Of Mumbai's Coastal Road on Feb 19 | All You Need To Know

The first phase of the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Mumbai coastal road project is scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 19, following which it will be opened for public from February 20.

This phase of the Mumbai coastal road project will also include the twin tunnels under Malabar Hill.

What is the Mumbai Coastal Road Project?

The first phase of the project will connect Worli and Marine Drive and will be the south-bound stretch.

Speaking to The Times of India, BMC Commissioner I S Chahal said that the entire project of the road connecting Marine Drive and Bandra-Worli Sea Link will be open for the public by May 15.

The 10.58-km coastal road that connects south Mumbai to Worli has 8 lanes on the surface, and in the tunnel, it has 6. There will be a dedicated lane for buses. The two tunnels of this coastal road, each measuring 2.072 kilometres in length with an internal diameter of 11 metres, are being constructed between Priyadarshini Park and Girgaon Chowpatty. The project also includes a 4.35 km road on reclamation and 2.19 km of bridges. The excavation of the southbound tunnel commenced in January 2021 and concluded in January 2022. Subsequently, the boring of the northbound tunnel began in April 2022 and ended in May 2023. The tunnels are fortified with a 375-mm-thick concrete cover, featuring fire protection boards.

Estimated to cost approximately Rs 12,700 crore, after completion this his will be India’s first undersea road tunnel.

Started in 2018, this project has been also regarded as one of the most expensive projects of the BMC.

How will the Project Help Mumbai Traffic?

The main aim of the coastal road project is to ease the traffic of south Mumbai during the morning and evening peak hours. Thus, it has been designed to make connectivity better between the southern and northern parts of the city.

Authorities expect that with this mega project, Mumbaikars will certainly save at least 70 per cent of their commute time and it will also help lower fuel consumption by 30-34 per cent. Currently, due to traffic congestion during morning and evening peak hours, it takes 30-40 minutes to travel between Worli and Marine Drive. But authorities are confident that with the help of the coastal road project, the travel time will significantly be reduced to 10-12 minutes.

With an eye on safety, the speed limit on the coastal road has been kept at 80 kmph. The BMC is confident that a reduction in traffic will help reduce noise and air pollution, which will further contribute to improving the air quality in the city. The civic body also expects a significant reduction in carbon footprint because of the project.