Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde inaugurated the first phase of Mumbai's coastal road on 11th March 2024 at around 10 am. The Coastal Road’s inauguration was postponed twice. It was initially planned to be inaugurated on 19th February 2024 by PM Modi but the date was later changed to 9th March 2024 and then again to 11th March 2024. The coastal road has been named after Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, son of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and has been inaugurated on his death anniversary. The first phase stretches 10.5 kilometers between Worli and Marine Drive in south Mumbai and is now open to the public. Only the Southbound arm (towards Marine Lines) will be opened currently. The northbound road (from Marine lines to Worli) is likely to be operational by May 2024. After the inauguration, CM Shinde and other dignitaries showed green flags to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST)’s electric buses and a vintage car rally on the coastal road. CM Shinde said that the coastal road is built using advanced technology and it can be called an "engineering marvel". He also announced that all precautions have been taken for the safety of people on it. BMC has said the road will be open from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday, and will remain closed on Saturdays & Sundays because of the ongoing work of the northbound carriageway. Only cars and buses are allowed on the road. All other vehicles including two- and three-wheelers and heavy vehicles like trucks & tempos are prohibited from entering. Motorists can enter the coastal road from Worli Seaface, Haji Ali interchange, and Amarson's interchange points, and exit at Marine Lines. The coastal road will reduce the travel time between Worli & Marine Drive from 40 - 45 minutes to 10 minutes. Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar and other dignitaries were also present at the inauguration. The project was launched & started on October 13, 2018, and cost ?12,721 crore. The arrangement of the road was changed earlier to create a gap of 120 meters between the road pillars in Worli to ensure the smooth passage of fishermen’s boats. The coastal road is a total 53 km long project that will connect to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and from there onwards it will be extended up to Dahisar. It will help citizens & tourists in saving fuel and time & reduce pollution. A statue of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj will also be erected in Worli, next to the coastal road. The second phase of the coastal road is an 8-lane stretch with twin tunnels between Marine Drive & Priyadarshini Park in Malabar Hills and is planned to be opened for public use by 15th May 2024.

Tags

• mumbai
• eknath shinde
• coastal road

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