After more than a decade in the making, the first phase of Mumbai’s long-awaited Coastal Road Project (MCRP) has been inaugurated today. Officially named ‘Dharmveer Swarajya Rakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road’, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar kicked off the opening ceremony, marking a significant milestone for the city’s transportation infrastructure.
Costing Rs 13,983 crore, the MCRP features a network of arterial roads, underground tunnels and bridges aimed at easing traffic congestion in Mumbai. The opening of the MCRP’s first phase marks a significant step forward in Mumbai’s transportation landscape, promising improved connectivity and smoother commutes for residents and visitors alike.
Starting Tuesday morning, the south section of the MCRP will be operational, allowing traffic flow between Worli and Marine Drive from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on weekdays. Although 15% of the work remains, construction will continue during nights and weekends to ensure completion. The initial phase covers a 10.58-kilometer stretch, with 9.5 kilometers ready for use. The remaining one-kilometer stretch connecting to the Bandra Worli Sea Link is still under construction, including a crucial bridge.
The main attraction of the 10.58-kilometer corridor is a 2.07-kilometer tunnel designed to go under the sea and up a hill. The tunnels begin near the Hindu and Islam Gymkhana, travel north under the Arabian Sea, Girgaon Chowpatty, and Malabar Hill, and finally ends at Priyadarshini Park in Breach Candy.
Initially, only one arm of each interchange at Haji Ali, Worli, and Amarsons Garden will be accessible to motorists. Speed limits at these interchanges are set at 40 kmph to ensure safety during the transition between the coastal road and mainland routes. While the undersea tunnels have a speed limit of 60 kmph and most of the coastal corridors allow speeds of up to 80 kmph.
As commuters adapt to the new interchanges, civic authorities expect travel speeds to be slower initially, but anticipate a notable decrease in travel time as the project advances.
