After Minimum Rs 250 Toll on Sea Bridge, Shinde Promises Toll-free Coastal Road
Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday announced that the Mumbai coastal road connecting Marine Drive with Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL) will be free of toll collections and its first phase will be opened by January 31. The chief minister visited the Mumbai Trans Harbor Link (MTHL) and the coastal road projects.
The announcement comes after controversy over the minimum Rs 250 one-way toll imposed on MTHL. Shinde said that both the projects will give respite to the Mumbaikars from the traffic congestion, save their time and fuel. “After the dedication of the MTHL, the first phase of Coastal Road will be opened for common people by the end of January 2024. By January 31, the construction work for the phase between Worli and Marine Drive that comprises the undersea tunnel will be completed, soon after which we aim to open it for motorists. The remaining phase will be completed by May 31, following which the entire corridor will be operational,” the chief minister said.
Officials confirmed that the construction work of the tunnel, which is India’s first undersea tunnel originating from Girgaon Chowpatty to Priyadarshini Park, has been completed and it will be opened for traffic by the end of January.
The first phase of Mumbai coastal road project is of around 10.58 kms. The project involves the stretch from Princess Street Flyover in Marine Drive to the Worli-end of Bandra-Worli Sea Link along the Arabian Sea. It is worth Rs 12,721 crore. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is the nodal agency for the project.
According to the BMC officials, it would reduce the travel time by 70 per cent and fuel would be saved by 34 per cent. In addition to this, it would reduce noise and air pollution.
The Saccardo nozzle system for ventilation and air flow is used in the tunnel on Coastal Road. “Because of this, there will be no accumulation of smoke in the tunnel,” the officials said. The twin tunnel consists of a modern traffic management control system. During the inspection, the chief minister traveled till the Girgaon Chowpatty.
Shinde said that the construction work of the second phase of this tunnel will be completed by the end of May this year. “The size of this tunnel is the largest in the entire nation and there will be no toll for using it,” the chief minister said.
