The Mumbai Coastal Road Project is a sign of hope for the city of dreams. It is a new piece of infrastructure that is being built along the western coast of Mumbai.
Moreover, this huge eight-lane motorway is supposed to be a game-changer, cutting travel times in half, making roads less crowded, and changing the way traffic flows in the city.
Hence, to understand the impact of this project in Mumbai, let us look more closely at its goal, design, effects, and present state.
A City of Traffic: How the Project Began
People state that Mumbai is the financial heart of India and a city that is always busy. However, this liveliness comes with a price, as traffic clogs its main roads, making driving impossible.
It can be very painful to commute across the city, particularly during rush hour. This means that you lose time, energy, and output. However, in 2018, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) came up with the idea for the Mumbai Coastal Road Project because they knew this was an important problem.
Details and Highlights of the Project
The Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Motorway is the full name of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project. The construction of the highway is still ongoing, and it spans 29.2 kilometers in length.
This raised highway will connect Marine Lines in the south to Kandivali in the north. It will run along the western coast of Mumbai. The important part of the project is:
- Less time spent traveling: The study seeks to reduce the time it takes to get from South Mumbai to the Western Suburbs by a large amount. At the moment, it can take as long as two hours to get along this path. With the coastal road, this time should drop to just 40 minutes, which will be a welcome break for people who travel every day.
- Connection without a hitch: The eight-lane motorway, with four lanes for traffic going north and south, will make sure that traffic moves smoothly. A designated lane for public buses will also encourage a greener way to get to work.
- Undersea Tunnels: An Engineering Marvel with India’s first underwater tunnels, the project is a huge step forward in engineering. These two tunnels, which are 2.07 kilometers long and go from 7 to 20 meters below the Arabian Sea, will get around crowded roads on the surface, especially around Malabar Hill and Girgaon Chowpatty.
- Putting sustainability first: eco-friendly steps are built into the project. Because people will be traveling less, they will use 35% less fuel, which will lower pollution and make the air cleaner. The project also puts a high priority on connecting people on foot and by public transportation by including bus stops, underground parking lots, and walking underpasses.
A Two-Phase Approach to Project Execution
The Mumbai Coastal Road Project carefully proceeds in two stages.
To connect the south, Phase 1 will build the Princess Flyover Road and the Worli Sea Link.
Phase 1 includes a 10.58-kilometer stretch and is now fully operational. It successfully connects South Mumbai to the famous Bandra-Worli Sea Link. As you can see, this finished part shows some of the project’s advantages, which include making commutes easier and improving traffic flow.
Phase 2: Making the Reach Wider (Versova – Dahisar)
The ambitious goal of this early stage is to make the coastal road go from Versova in the western areas to Dahisar in the north. Phase 2 will efficiently cover a total distance of about 18.62 kilometers, splitting it into six separate packages.
When it’s done, the coastal road will connect different parts of Mumbai, making it easier for people to reach each other.
They changed the start date for the project a few times. The team planned to finish Phase 1 in January 2024, but they have fully activated it as of June 2024. These four years should be enough time to finish building Phase 2 before it starts to rain this year.
Something Good for Mumbai: Benefits to Expect
Problems with traffic: Getting rid of the traffic jams that happen all the time in Mumbai is the main goal of the project. The coastal road should cut down on traffic on the current inland routes by giving people another way to get there. This will make commuting easier and journey times shorter.
Help the economy: The business should grow if there are better connections. Assisting people in moving from one part of the city to another will boost trade, business, and home sales along the coast.
Thoughts on the Environment: Green groups worry about the project, but it includes steps to make it less harmful to the earth. Because travel times are faster and there is less traffic, less pollution and fuel use should also happen.
Issues with the project:
The Mumbai Coastal Road Project has been hard to handle at times. People who care about the climate worry about how it will hurt marine ecosystems and the coast’s ability to hold together. On the other hand, the project’s leaders say they are doing enough to lower these risks.
Another hard part is making sure the job will last a long time. The damage to marine life will affect them, and we need to closely watch and possibly change tactics if they don’t work. You will also need to take good care of the job to make sure it works well for many years.
Conclusion
By building the Mumbai Coastal Road Project, the city wants to improve traffic and change how people get around towns. Both parts of the project are nearly complete, and they illustrate a future with easier trips, shorter travel times, and a beautiful coastal motorway.
Even though environmental concerns still exist, the project can improve people’s lives, boost the economy, and create an unmissable landmark attraction.
Mumbai is embracing this important building project, which will make the city more efficient, related, and lively.
FAQ’s
In how many phases the Mumbai coastal rail project will complete?
The Mumbai coastal rail project will be completed in 2 phases.
When will the project be complete?
Phase 1 is operational as of June 2024. The building of Phase 2 should start before the rainy season in 2024 and it should be finished in four years.
Will there be a toll on the Mumbai coastal Road?
No, the Mumbai coastal road will be free for motorists.