In the latest update on the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP), the BMC is set to open the second arm of the project’s bow-string bridge by January 26, The Indian Express has reported. This will directly link the coastal road and the Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL).
“With the launch of the girders already complete, we are undertaking the final works such as water-proofing, asphalting, installation of electric poles, etc. We are set to open the bridge for southbound traffic from January 26,” an official to IE.
On November 27 this year, the BMC completed the installation of the final girders for the bowstring bridge. With the opening of the bridge for southbound traffic, the entire structure will now be fully operational.
Currently, the bow-string arch bridge, which connects the coastal road to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, is partially open for northbound traffic (on the southbound carriageway). Inaugurated in September, this section allows traffic from South Mumbai’s Nariman Point to directly access the Bandra-Worli Sea Link without leaving the coastal road.
According to BMC officials, the bow-string arch bridge is the longest of its kind in India to span across an open sea.
The opening of the bridge will mark a significant step towards the completion of the first phase of the MCRP, which was partially inaugurated on March 11 this year. While the BMC had opened the southern arm from Worli to Marine Drive on March 11, the northern flank linking Marine Drive and Haji Ali was opened on June 11 and the final 3.5km stretch between Haji Ali and Worli became operational from July 11.
Earlier on Wednesday, the BMC opened the sixth arm of the coastal road’s Haji Ali interchange towards Worli for traffic.
Speaking to The Indian Express, senior officials said two more interchanges are likely to be commissioned by May 2025. For the record, the arterial road’s first phase has a total of eight interchanges.
“Of the eight, the sixth and the seventh interchanges are yet to be commissioned. These are likely to become functional by May 2025. While the sixth interchange connects Haji Ali to Marine Drive, the seventh connects Worli to Lotus Jetty Junction,” an official said.
Meanwhile, the second phase of the coastal project, which will connect Versova in the western suburbs to Dahisar, has received approval from the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC). Estimated to cost Rs 16,621 crore, this 22.93 km stretch will include multiple bridges, flyovers, and underground tunnels.