In order to reduce the traffic congestion at Dr Annie Besant Road in Worli, the Mumbai Traffic Police announced a permanent notification order on Monday stating that the stretch between Gaffar Khan junction and Worli Naka will be declared as a ‘No-Parking Zone’ for all types of vehicles.
Meanwhile, BMC will be able to open only one side of the Coastal Road route between Marine Lines and Worli in December, as work on the second tunnel is still in the primary stages. Besides, the connectors between the Coastal Road and Bandra-Worli Sea Link and a few arms for interchanges at Worli and Haji Ali will take more time to be completed. The entire project work, including a promenade and car parking facility, is expected to be ready by June 2025.
Work on the Coastal Road began in December 2018 and it was expected that the 10.58-km-long stretch between Marine Lines and Worli would be operational by November 2023. The civic body even carried out work during the COVID-induced lockdown. However, there were several issues - including damage to the tunnel boring machine, the Supreme Court battle, and the decision to have a bigger span between pillars of the bridge at Worli - which delayed the project.
"We are looking at options to optimise use of the completed structures of the road. One tunnel will be ready and so the south-to-north (Marine Lines to Worli up to JK Kapur Chowk) traffic may start in December 2023. We are also looking to open up a few other stretches on north-to-south roads, but this decision will be taken later," said a BMC official.