Mumbai’s urban mobility is set for a significant upgrade with the partial opening of the north-bound Coastal Road connector to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL), dramatically reducing travel time from Marine Drive to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) Terminal 2 (T2) to just 30 minutes.
This development marks a major improvement over the previous travel times, which could extend to a lengthy 90 minutes to two hours during peak traffic hours. The new Coastal Road extension, opening this Friday after its official inauguration, promises a signal-free route for motorists heading from south Mumbai to the airport. This crucial infrastructure addition allows vehicles to seamlessly access the Sea Link from Marine Drive, continue to Bandra, and proceed to T2 via the Western Express Highway (WEH). Under optimal traffic conditions, the journey across the Coastal Road will take less than 10 minutes, followed by an additional 10 minutes on the Sea Link.
This new section aims to alleviate some of the chronic congestion that has plagued commuters for years. The northbound traffic, which previously faced bottlenecks and jams, can now enjoy a smoother ride. However, while the promise of a faster commute is welcome news, it does raise concerns about potential traffic pile-ups at toll booths. With a higher volume of vehicles expected to merge onto the Sea Link from the Coastal Road, some residents worry that the toll plaza may become a choke point, especially during peak hours. Local residents have voiced mixed reactions. A Breach Candy resident pointed out that while traffic flows smoothly during non-peak hours, bottlenecks still exist at Breach Candy and the Worli exits.
“The Coastal Road has delivered significant improvements in travel time, but the last-mile connectivity must be enhanced to fully reap the benefits of this project,” the resident noted. Despite the project’s scale and its potential to drastically reduce commute times, some challenges persist. A Tardeo resident, who was actively involved in efforts to save Tata Garden from being impacted by the project, expressed concerns about the increased traffic volume. “There’s a risk that the Sea Link toll booths will struggle to handle the influx of vehicles from the Coastal Road. We already see congestion in areas like Breach Candy, despite the improvements,” they commented.
The northbound connector is opening to the public, though work continues on the second arm of the bridge, expected to be completed by December. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is expected to flag off the 800-metre stretch from Worli to the Sea Link, which has been temporarily designated for northbound traffic to ease evening congestion at Abdul Gaffar Khan Road in Worli. Once fully operational, the Coastal Road project, which extends from Marine Drive to Worli, will serve as a vital artery, easing pressure on Mumbai’s Western Express Highway and cutting down travel time for both residents and tourists. It’s a long-awaited solution for many who have endured Mumbai’s notorious traffic jams, and although work continues on parking lots and surrounding open spaces, the city is already beginning to experience the benefits of smoother traffic flow.
