The north-bound section of the Mumbai Coastal Road, extending from Marine Drive to Haji Ali, was inaugurated on Monday, June 10. This milestone marks a significant phase in the city’s infrastructure development, as it will significantly reduce travel time for motorists.
The inauguration was carried out by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. All of them rode a vintage Rolls Royce to mark the occasion.
A civic spokesperson said that vehicular movement on the north-bound section was allowed from 4 pm. The Mumbai civic body initially announced that the road stretch would be open to vehicles starting Tuesday.
Operational hours
The northern arm will be operational from 7 am to 11 pm on weekdays. The southern arm also follows the same operational hours. It was inaugurated in March 2024. Currently, the south-bound section serves vehicles traveling between Worli and Marine Drive. The north-bound section will be operational only between Marine Drive and the vehicular interchange at Haji Ali. According to civic officials, the north-bound section spans approximately 6.25 km, while the south-bound section extends over an eight-kilometre stretch.
The Mumbai Coastal Road is a high-speed corridor connecting the Bandra Worli Sea Link with Marine Drive through a series of tunnels, vehicular interchanges, and bridges. The total cost of the project will come to about Rs 13,000 crore.
Shinde stated that the opening of the 6.25-km-long northbound corridor will make the travel experience “pleasant” for people.
He added, “Earlier, the travel time between Marine Lines and Haji Ali was 40 to 50 minutes, but now it will take only eight minutes, a big relief for Mumbaikars.”
Shinde highlighted that the coastal road’s tunnel was constructed using advanced machinery and announced that the entire Coastal Road will be opened for traffic in October.
(With PTI inputs)