The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to open a 3.5-kilometer stretch of the northbound carriage way of the Mumbai Coastal Road up to Bindumadhav Thackeray Chowk in Worli to alleviate traffic congestion at the Haji Ali junction on Thursday. Currently, a 6.3-kilometer northbound stretch from Marine Drive to Haji Ali operates on weekdays. BMC sources have indicated that another arm of the Haji Ali interchanger will also be opened for motorists. With this development, five out of the eight arms of the interchangers at Haji Ali will be operational.
Moreover, sources have stated that the coastal road connector to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link is expected to open by the end of July. Initially, only the southbound arm will be opened for traffic in both directions, while work on placing three girders on the northbound carriageway will continue, according to a civic official. This new development will enable traffic from two lanes on the bridge connecting to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link to converge into four lanes, thereby facilitating smoother traffic movement and allowing motorists a signal-free travel experience from Marine Drive to Bandra.
BMC Chief Bhushan Gagrani inspected the progress of work at the coastal road site on Tuesday. The northbound Marine Drive-Haji Ali stretch of the coastal road has been open for motorists since June 10. It operates on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., with two exits and entry points at Breach Candy and Haji Ali. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde inaugurated the southbound carriageway on March 11, just before the code of conduct for Lok Sabha polls was enforced. This section is operational seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., except for entry closure from Bindumadhav Thackeray Chowk on weekends.