Amitabh Bachchan, the legendary actor, recently shared a video showcasing his experience using the newly inaugurated Coastal Road tunnel in Mumbai. The tunnel, a part of the Coastal Road project connecting Marine Drive to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, has been hailed by Bachchan as “a marvel” for its ability to significantly reduce travel time between these two points. This 10.8-kilometre-long road includes a two-kilometre-long tunnel stretching from Priyadarshini Park to Marine Drive.
The first phase of this ambitious project was inaugurated on March 11 by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. The project, which commenced on October 13, 2018, is estimated to cost around ₹12,721 crore.
In his post, marked as T 4968, Amitabh Bachchan expressed his awe, stating, “Went first time in the TUNNEL – Enter before Haji Ali and out Half way to Marine Drive… a Marvel.”
The video shared by Bachchan quickly garnered over 50,000 views within minutes, and users flooded the post with comments expressing their admiration and gratitude for the modern infrastructure development.
T 4968 – Went first time in the TUNNEL – Enter before Haji Ali and out Half way to Marine Drive .. a Marvel !! pic.twitter.com/5eEGSYwGTz
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 2, 2024
“I’m glad you liked it, sir! Mumbai’s modern roadways truly are a marvel unlike any other. Thank you for sharing, love you @Srbachchan sir,” commented one user.
“Thanks to Maharashtra Government and Nitin Gadkari ji,” added another.
“Try Atal Tunnel sir,” suggested a third person, referring to the Atal Tunnel, another remarkable infrastructure project in India.
Before the Coastal Road, the regular route from Worli to Marine Drive often took between 40-50 minutes during peak hours. However, with the introduction of the Coastal Road, the travel duration has been drastically reduced to less than 10 minutes in the nearly 10-kilometre stretch.
To ensure safety and efficient traffic flow, authorities have implemented speed limits for vehicles on the Coastal Road. The speed limit is set at 80 kilometres per hour on the straight road, reduced to 60 kmph inside the tunnel and at the turning points and entry/exit points, where the speed limit is announced at 40 kmph.
Additionally, as announced by Mr Shinde earlier this month, a world-class Central Park spread over 320 acres will be developed along the road. The road itself has been named ‘Dharmaveer Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road’, adding a touch of historical significance to this modern infrastructure development.
