In a significant step towards improving Mumbai's traffic flow, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is preparing to open the Worli underpass in early May.

The 550-mtrs.-long, 11-mtrs.wide corridor is part of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP) and is designed to streamline southbound traffic from Worli, Prabhadevi, and Dadar to Nariman Point. Constructed using the Austrian Tunneling Method, this underpass runs beneath Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan Road, starting near the Sewri-Worli Connector and ending at Bindu Madhav Thackeray Chowk. It is exclusively for southbound vehicular traffic and is strategically placed to connect to the coastal road, offering enhanced accessibility to both the western suburbs and southern Mumbai.

“The underpass is in the final stages of construction and will be opened to traffic in the next 8 to 10 days,” said officials close to the project. This new corridor will also serve as a direct connector to two major arms of the Worli Interchange, one leading to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, and the other towards Marine Drive via the coastal road. The seamless linkage is expected to cut commute times drastically for daily travelers heading to commercial hotspots such as Nariman Point and Bandra.

Part of the larger Rs 130 billion Mumbai Coastal Road Project, the development stretches across 10.58 km, beginning at the Princess Street Flyover near Marine Lines and terminating at the Worli-end of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. The project also includes a 7.5-km-long promenade along the coastline, modelled after Marine Drive, with green spaces, jogging tracks, and public seating, also slated for inauguration soon.