Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde Said that Mumbai ‘Coastal Road’ is a big transformational step and in future it will be extended to Bhayander, Virar and Palghar. CM Shinde said that the extension of ‘Coastal Road’ to Bhayander, Virar and Palghar will benefit the Vadhavan port, the foundation stone of which was recently laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Chief Minister Shinde inaugurated the ‘Coastal Road Connector’ after inspecting the section connecting Marine Line-Worli ‘Coastal Road’ and Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL) along with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other cabinet colleagues. During the inspection, Fadnavis drove the car with Shinde sitting next to him. This section will be opened to the public on Friday.
According to the BMC, vehicles going north on the ‘Coastal Road’ in Mumbai will be able to directly enter the Bandra-Worli ‘Sea Link’ from Friday. It can be used from 7 am to 11 pm. Shinde told reporters that with the inauguration of the ‘connector’ connecting the ‘Coastal Road’ to BWSL, motorists will be able to reach Marine Drive in South Mumbai from Bandra in 10 minutes, which currently takes 45 minutes.
Shinde said, “This will save time and fuel and also reduce pollution. The ‘Coastal Road’ is a transformational step. It is being extended to Versova and in future it will be extended to Bhayander, Virar and Palghar. The Vadhavan port, which will be among the top 10 ports in the world, will benefit due to the ‘Coastal Road’ (when it is extended to Palghar).”
Along with this, he said that after the completion of the expansion, the distance between Marine Drive and Versova can be covered in just 40-50 minutes, which currently takes 2-3 hours.
On this occasion, Fadnavis said that discussions on the ‘Coastal Road’ scheme were going on for almost 25 years, but the Chief Minister used to return empty-handed from Delhi (Centre).
Fadnavis said, ‘Congress was in power for so many years, but no Chief Minister could get the necessary permission for the ‘Coastal Road’. However, after the Modi government came to power, all the permissions were given after holding five meetings regarding the project in one and a half years.’