The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has ordered that the Nehru Science Centre–Nehru Planetarium flyover and underground passage in Worli be completed by 31 January 2027, as the civic administration accelerates work on a link expected to improve access to the coastal road and reduce travel time by about 15 minutes.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar issued the deadline after inspecting the project on Wednesday and reviewing its progress with municipal officials. He directed the agencies involved to increase the pace of construction and complete all remaining works within the scheduled timeline.
The project connects the Nehru Science Centre side with the Nehru Planetarium area. Once operational, it is expected to provide a more direct route from E. Moses Road towards Annie Besant Road and the Dharmaveer Swarajya Rakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road. Vehicles travelling from Lower Parel, Mahalaxmi and Curry Road will also be able to use the flyover directly, according to the civic administration’s project review.
The BMC said the main piling work, involving piles with a diameter of 1,200 millimetres, has been completed on both sides of the project. On the Nehru Science Centre side, 17 of 18 pile caps, 17 of 18 piers and 17 of 18 pier caps have been completed. On the Jijamata Nagar side, all 17 pile caps, 17 piers and 17 pier caps have been completed.
Work on portal beams and girder spans is also progressing at the project site and at a fabrication centre. All 14 portal beams have been completed, while 17 of the project’s 18 girder spans have been fabricated. The remaining girder span is under construction. Of the 14 portal beams, 13 have been erected, while nine of the 18 girder spans have been installed.
Deck slab concreting has been completed across seven of the 18 spans, with work underway on two additional spans. The project’s remaining activities include completing the outstanding girder span, erecting the remaining structural components and finishing deck slab concreting.
The proposed connection is intended to reduce the need for vehicles to make a detour through Worli Naka, also known as Acharya Atre Chowk. The BMC expects the shorter route to reduce congestion around the junction and lower fuel consumption by reducing both travel distance and time. The municipal administration has not provided a separate operational date for opening the link beyond the completion deadline.
Bangar instructed the departments to plan manpower, machinery and other resources for the remaining work. He also directed the project agencies to coordinate with one another and prepare a traffic management plan in consultation with the traffic police. That coordination will be required as construction continues around an important road network connecting Worli, Lower Parel, Mahalaxmi, Curry Road and the coastal road.
