
The bow-string arch bridge became operational for vehicular traffic on Monday. | PTI photo
Mumbai’s Coastal Road: Bandra to Marine Drive in 10 minutes! Five things to know
The ambitious Mumbai Coastal Road Project is being developed in phases to provide faster access from south Mumbai to the northern suburbs, stretching from Nariman Point to Dahisar
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday (January 26) inaugurated the northbound bridge connecting the Mumbai Coastal Road with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, describing it as a milestone that will “herald a new era of connectivity” for the city.
With 94 per cent of the work completed, the coastal road will be fully open to Mumbaikars upon the completion of the Prabhadevi connector in February, he said.
“The coastal road milestone is a new era of connectivity for Mumbai. It will significantly reduce travel time for Mumbaikars and provide much-needed relief from pollution,” he said.
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The Federal takes you through some of the key features of this ambitious project, which will ease travel for Mumbai residents in a big way.
Ease of travel
The bow-string arch bridge became operational for vehicular traffic on Monday (January 27), reducing the travel time between Bandra and Marine Drive and vice versa to just 10 minutes. The bridge will remain open for use from 7 am to 12 midnight.
The inauguration of three interchanges, which will provide connectivity for vehicles moving to areas like Worli, Prabhadevi, Lower Parel, and Lotus Junction, will also bring respite to the commuters in the city.
In the absence of the northbound bridge, both north as well as south bound traffic was directed to the southbound bridge, which was opened for the public a few months back.
About the bridge
The northbound bridge is 827 metres long, with 699 metres over the sea and a 128-metre access road.
The bridge includes a 143-metre long, 27-metre wide and 31-metre high ‘Bo Arch String Girder’ weighing approximately 2,400 metric tonnes.
Coastal road project
The ambitious Mumbai Coastal Road Project is being developed in phases to provide faster access from south Mumbai to the northern suburbs, stretching from Nariman Point to Dahisar.
Almost 94 per cent of the construction of the first phase of the coastal road, covering a 10.58-km-stretch from Shamal Das Gandhi Marg in south Mumbai to Worli-Bandra Sea Link, has been completed.
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The work on the coastal road began in 2018 and was slated to conclude by 2022. However, it was delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic, among other reasons. It has so far cost a whopping Rs 14,000 crore.
It has a layout of 4+4 lanes, and the road has a string of modern infrastructure elements, including a bridge on stilts, an elevated road, and twin tunnels. The road has strategically placed interchanges at key locations such as Amarsons Garden, Haji Ali and Worli Seaface to make traffic flow smoother.
The second phase of the project spans 20 km between Versova and Dahisar and it is under construction. The coastal road cuts down the 45-minute commute from Girgaon to Worli to just 10 minutes. The project also significantly reduces the travel time from south Mumbai to the airport.
Key features
Among the prominent features of the project is India's first undersea tunnel, one bound of which has been in use since March 2024.
The twin tunnels with a diameter of 12.19 metres -- only one side of which is currently open -- run 17 to 20 meters below the sea level. The 2.07 km tunnel begins near Girgaon (ahead of Marine Drive), extends north under the Arabian Sea, Girgaon Chowpatty and Malabar Hill, and end at Breach Candy's Priyadarshini Park.
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Big draw
More than 50 lakh vehicles have used the coastal road route from March 12 to December 31, 2024, with the daily average being 18,000-20,000 vehicles.
The southbound arm of the coastal road opened from Worli to Marine Drive on March 11 last year. The northbound arm opened from Marine Drive till Haji Ali on June 10. Subsequently, the stretch from Haji Ali to Worli became operational on July 11.