Piling work has commenced for the proposed 4.5-km connector of the Mumbai Coastal Road (North) project, linking Mindspace in Malad to the Dindoshi sessions court.

Work began from the Dindoshi end despite the pending decision on demolishing the Veer Savarkar flyover, an obstacle along the route. Currently, permissions extend only up to Oberoi Mall junction.

The Savarkar flyover, completed in August 2018 at a cost of Rs 27 crore, lies about three km ahead of the active work zone and may need removal to align with the elevated connector. Officials are considering replacing it with a two-deck structure, where the flyover becomes the lower deck. Without demolition, the reduced slip road could hinder traffic flow.

The connector forms part of the 22-km Versova Dahisar Link Road (VDLR), featuring land roads, elevated segments, stilts, a cable-stayed bridge, and a cut-and-cover tunnel beneath a creek.