The southbound lanes of the Coastal Road leading to the sea link are expected to open for traffic by the end of July. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde directed officials to expedite the work and ensure the lanes are operational during his inspection of the Coastal Road on Thursday night. The Bow Arch String Girder for the southbound lanes was installed on April 26, 2024.
To connect the Coastal Road with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, two Bow Arch String Girders were installed on April 26 and May 15, respectively. According to officials from BMC, resurfacing work on the southbound lanes of the Bow Arch String Girder is currently underway.
During his inspection of the Coastal Road on Thursday night, CM Shinde instructed officials to open the southbound lanes for traffic by the end of July, facilitating smoother travel for vehicles from South Mumbai to Bandra and the northern end.
"The distance between the two piers where the Mumbai Coastal Road Project and the Bandra-Worli Sea Bridge meet in the sea has been increased from 60 meters to 120 meters. This decision was made to minimize inconvenience to the Koli brothers," said a senior BMC official, adding that the Koli community will not encounter any problems while fishing in the future.
The northbound section of the Coastal Road commenced traffic flow on June 11. Earlier, on March 12, the southbound carriageway between Worli and Marine Drive was opened for traffic.
The newly constructed road aims to significantly reduce travel time between South Mumbai and the western suburbs by 70% and decrease fuel consumption by 34%. Additionally, it will contribute to lowering noise and air pollution levels. "The civic body is also actively addressing traffic congestion on the Western Expressway," said a civic official.
However, civic activists argue that the newly developed Coastal Road is merely shifting traffic congestion from one area to another.