A 550-metre-long, 11-metre-wide vehicular underpass catering to motorists travelling from Dadar, Prabhadevi, towards the Mumbai Coastal Road is set to be operational by May, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
This will be the only underpass included in the 10.58-km coastal road project. Civic officials have stated that this underpass has been designed with future traffic needs in mind. Vehicles from the Sewri-Worli elevated corridor will be able to access the underpass easily, allowing for direct routes to the western suburbs or the southern tip of Mumbai via the coastal road. This design aims to significantly reduce travel time.
“This underpass will complete the last missing link of the coastal road. The ongoing works are in the final stages and they will be completed by early May, soon after which we intend to open the underpass for motorists. Once this tunnel is opened, motorists coming from Dadar can enter the coastal road directly, without having them exited from the Worli or Haji Ali interchanges,” a civic official told the Indian Express.
This underpass will run below Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan Road, connecting J K Kapur Chowk with the coastal road via the vehicular interchange at Bindoo Madhav Thackeray Chowk at Worli sea face.
“At present, ancillary works like painting lane markings, setting up lights, and surfacing sidewalls are underway. It will be completed in the next few weeks,” the official added.
At present, the Mumbai Coastal Road is fully operational, allowing motorists to travel from Nariman Point and Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL).
Civic officials have stated that this tunnel will exclusively accommodate southbound vehicles from the Dadar and Prabhadevi areas. It aims to provide direct access for these vehicles, helping alleviate Worli’s traffic congestion. Once vehicles enter the underpass, they will have two options: head towards Bandra or continue towards Marine Drive/Nariman Point.