Mumbai, Jan 26 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday inaugurated the northbound bridge connecting the Mumbai Coastal Road with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, describing it as a milestone that will “herald a new era of connectivity” for the city.
With 94 per cent of the work completed, the coastal road will be fully open to Mumbaikars upon the completion of the Prabhadevi connector in February, he said.
“The coastal road milestone is a new era of connectivity for Mumbai. It will significantly reduce travel time for Mumbaikars and provide much-needed relief from pollution,” he said.
Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and ministers Ashish Shelar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha were present on the occasion.
“I appreciate all the officers, engineers, employees of the BMC, contractors, and construction workers involved in successfully completing the coastal road project. Your dedication and hard work have made this possible,” he said.
Besides the bridge, the chief minister also inaugurated the intersections from Marine Drive to Prabhadevi and from Bindumadhav Thackeray Chowk to the sea bridge and the intercity route towards Bandra.
The coastal road will be open for vehicular movement daily from 7 am to midnight, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had said in a release on Friday, adding the northbound bridge will be opened for the public from January 27.
In the absence of the northbound bridge, both north as well as south bound traffic was directed to the southbound bridge, which was opened for the public a few months back, it said.
The northbound bridge is 827 metres long, with 699 metres over the sea and a 128-metre access road.
The bridge includes a 143-metre long, 27-metre wide and 31-metre high ‘Bo Arch String Girder’ weighing approximately 2,400 metric tons, the release said.
The ambitious Mumbai Coastal Road Project is being developed in phases to provide faster access from south Mumbai to the northern suburbs, stretching from Nariman Point to Dahisar.
Almost 94 per cent of the construction of the first phase of the coastal road, covering a 10.58-km-stretch from Shamal Das Gandhi Marg in south Mumbai to Worli-Bandra Sea Link, has been completed, the release said.
More than 50 lakh vehicles have used the coastal road route from March 12 to December 31, 2024, with the daily average being 18,000-20,000 vehicles, it added.
Shinde is the guardian minister of Mumbai city. Shelar is the guardian minister of Mumbai suburbs, while Lodha is the co-guardian minister. PTI MR GK NR
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