The Mumbai Coastal Road and Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL)’s final link, the “bow-string” arch bridge, is set to be partially opened this month by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), The Indian Express reported citing confirmation from Mumbai’s municipal commissioner and state-appointed administrator Bhushan Gagrani.
Once the bridge is opened to the public, vehicles will be able to move between Nariman Point and Bandra using the sea link. Currently, the coastal road extends only as far as Worli.
According to a civic official, one of the two sections of the arch bridge is nearly ready for vehicular use. “Therefore, we are anticipating opening it for vehicles around or after September 10. At present, ancillary works like painting the signages and illuminating the structure are ongoing,” they added.
The officials say that with the opening of the bridge, vehicles traveling north from Nariman Point can directly enter the Sea Link and exit at Bandra. Meanwhile, for vehicles going douth, the entry point will remain at Worli.
Originally, the BMC planned to partially open the bridge for vehicular traffic by the end of July. However, due to the heavy rainfall and high tidal waves experienced last month, the authorities had to delay the deadline. The civil works for the bridge were conducted from the Arabian Sea, which was affected by these conditions. Despite this, officials noted that frequent dry spells in July allowed the civil works to be expedited.
The arch bridges weigh approximately 4,000 metric tonnes (MT) each and measure about 140 meters in length. Currently, the coastal road is open to traffic from 7 am to 11 pm on weekdays.