Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde inagurated the second underground tunnel of the BMC's Coastal Road project, starting from Marine Drive, for northbound traffic on Monday. Following the inauguration, the route will be opened for public from Tuesday, June 11, for 16 hours daily, from 7 am to 11 pm. This route will be operational from Monday to Friday, five days a week, and it will be closed on weekends to continue the completion of the remaining project work.
Over 90 per cent of the work in the Dharmaveer, Swarajyarakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Mumbai Coastal Road (South) Project is complete, with the final phase progressing rapidly. The inauguration was reportedly attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Mumbai City District Guardian Minister Deepak Kesarkar, Mumbai Suburban District Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, various public representatives, Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani, and Additional Municipal Commissioner (Eastern Suburbs) Amit Saini.
About the new route
The route being opened includes a 6.25-km stretch from Marine Drive to Haji Ali, featuring intersections at Amarsons Park and Haji Ali to facilitate smoother transportation between various parts of the city. Vehicles will be allowed from Barrister Rajani Patel Chowk towards Worli, Bandra, and from Vatsalabai Desai Chowk towards Mahalaxmi, Tardeo and Pedder Road.
This phased opening comes after the inauguration of the southern line of the Coastal Road from Worli to Marine Drive on March 11.
Largest diameter tunnel in India
The tunnel which was constructed using the Mavala tunneling machine, is the largest diameter tunnel in India and measures 12.19 metres in diameter. It features twin tunnels for traffic in both directions.
