Mumbai Coastal Road Inauguration: SoBo skyline changes, a 1st in a 100 years

The western tip of the coastline in south Mumbai is set to change forever for the first time in this century The Worli to Marine Lines stretch of the Coastal Road will be opened to the public on Tuesday The promenade will have an alternative northsouth trunk route for mobility and also muchneeded recreational public open spacesgreeneryThe city has built its foundations over reclamations and land fillings from scattered seven islets to becoming the financial capital over the last two centuries The first major reclamation took place in 1708 to construct the causeway between Mahim and Sion The second one in 1772 to stop the ingress of water and the consequent flooding of central Mumbai and to connect Mahalaxmi and WorliThe proposed road is divided in two parts Princess Flyover to Worli and Bandra to KandivliThis causeway was named Hornby Vellard sealing the Great Breach Breach Candy between Dongri Malabar Hill and Worli This was followed by multiple small and big landfillings and the major one discussed is the Backbay Reclamation planned in the 1860s but taken up majorly during the 1920s exactly a century ago until Marine Drive came up The last bit of major reclamations occurred during the 1960s and early 70s when Nariman Point and Cuffe Parade came upAlso Read Mumbai Coastal Road project Heres all you need to knowBiggestever reclamationBut the Coastal Road reclamation is one of the biggest Mumbai has witnessed in the last 100 years with so far 100 hectares of land being reclaimed from the sea The coastal road project has a length of 2920 km which lies on the western coastal stretch of the city The proposed road length is divided into two parts from Princess Flyover to Worli Sea Link and Bandra Sea Link to Kandivli Junction Indiarsquos largest 1219metre diameter tunnel has been constructed 20m below the shore of the Arabian Sea and 70 metres below Malabar Hill with three lanes with one lane reserved for emergency transport About 70 hectares of new green space are being added to the city as part of the Coastal Road project officials saidThe Marine Drive bifurcates into the Coastal Road a bit ahead of the Princess Street Flyover Shamaldas Gandhi Marg curve just opposite the Marine Lines railway station While the new Coastal Road four lanes three lanes in tunnel going towards Worli that enters an underground tunnel lies to the extreme left of the old road the Coastal Road coming from the Worliend to Mantralaya comes out of the tunnel between the old southbound road and the road going to Marine Lines stationPromenade old vs newOn Sunday morning final finishing touches like watering plants and polishing were in progress on this road with four lanes three in tunnel which is expected to open up on Monday While the Coastal Road will be inaugurated at 11 am by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Mumbaikars will be able to travel only from 8 am on Tuesday March 12The road going towards Worli is also almost ready but works of covering the promenade with a green patch and concreting the land above the tunnel were ongoing in patches It is expected to open by May 2024While the old and original Marine Drive Art Deco promenade that won the UNESCOrsquos World Heritage tag for Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai showcasing a spectacular ensemble of 94 historic buildings remains undisturbed the promenade between Marine Lines station and Charni Road station is more affected by the coastal road workIt is full of machinery construction equipment and labourers ldquoThe major portion of underground roads has been built and landfilling completed and now concreting and beautification works have begunrdquo an official saidldquoOne can even take the stroll on this part of the Marine Drive as earlier but with added green space and walk all the way till the centuryold Kenndey Sea Face lamp post dated 1920 erected to commemorate the sea face wall thererdquo he addedCitizen voicesChetan Bordawekar Citizen Transport CommitteelsquoAll this will jam south Mumbai There are so many signals on Netaji Subhash Road Marine Drive towards ChurchgateNariman Point and I feel that there will be large traffic from Worli that will come at a fast pace But I fear it will get stuck on these signals Plus traffic from Wilson College will also be added So the volume will be huge Quick traffic dispersal will be necessary otherwise it will result in a jamrsquo Chetan Bordawekar of the Citizen Transport Committee saidAV Shenoy ActivistlsquoI wonder who will travel by BRTS Most traffic on this route is from Pedder Road Bhulabhai Desai Road Hughes Road and Napean Sea Road These passengers need stops Is any provision made for their entryexit BEST buses will still use the old roads Only pointtopoint private buses like Cityflo may use Coastal Road BRTSrsquos promise was only to pacify activists Let us observe for some time Like the sea link let us be happy with whatever resultant reduced congestion occurs on the above roads due to the disappearance of carsrsquo activist AV Shenoy saidIndrani Malkani Chairman V Citizens Action NetworklsquoItrsquos a major infrastructure creation and very commendable at the pace it is being carried out The opening even the one lane will surely ease the traffic movement The challenge though will be at the Breach Candy Tata Garden exit point I hope bottlenecks are not created at this point Of course all will eventually smoothen once both lanes become operationalrdquo Indrani Malkani chairman V Citizens Action Network VCANNew Coastal Road restrictionsNo nightweekend ridesThe Coastal Road will be open for all vehicles between 8 am to 8 pm from March 12 Monday to Friday No traffic on Saturday and Sunday for constructionNo photographyIt is strictly forbidden to stop vehicles and get off vehicles and take pictures and videos Legal action will be takenWho cannot use itAll types of heavy vehicles excluding BESTST busespassengercarrying vehiclesAll types of twowheelers cycles and disabled person motorcyclesscooters including sidecarsAll types of threewheelers animaldrawn carts handcarts and pedestriansSpeed restrictions On a straight road the speed limit is 80 km for the tunnel it is 60 km and at turning points and entryexit points it is 40 kmEntry pointsEntry from Bindu Madhav Thackeray Junction Worli Rajani Patel Junction or Lotus Junction near Haji Ali and Amarsons GardenExit pointsExits at Amarsons Garden and Marine Drive which is the Princess Street BridgeNote If entering from the Bindu Madhav Thackeray Junction Worli the timings are 8 am to 5 pm At all other entry points timings are 8 am to 8 pm2920 kmTotal length of the Coastal Road project