Mumbai: Coastal Road Phase 1 To Open For Public In Next Eight Days
The first section of the much-anticipated coastal road project connecting Worli to Marine Drive will be open to the public in eight days, Industries Minister Uday Samant announced on February 29, while attending a legislative council meeting.
“The first phase of the coastal road which will connect Bindu Madhav Chowk in Worli and Marine Drive will be opened to the public in eight days. This will reduce the travelling time on the busy route to just eight minutes,” said Samant.
He said that the 10.58-kilometer section of coastal road from the Princess Street flyover on Marine Drive to the Worli end of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link will save travel time by 70% and fuel consumption by 34%. The stretch of road comprises sections built on reclaimed land, bridges, twin tunnels, and three interchanges. According to Samant, vehicles will be able to travel over the section at speeds of up to 80 km per hour.
The coastal road concept was proposed in 2011 by then-chief minister Prithviraj Chavan as an alternative to the more expensive sea link project, but the project itself was begun by the BJP-Shiv Sena government. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde examined the work project at Priyadarshini Park in the first week of January and stated that it would be completed by January 31. Later, it was reported that the first segment of the road will be opened on February 19. But the deadline was missed.
