Viral Video: Amitabh Bachchan Praises Mumbai’s Coastal Road Tunnel as a “Marvel”

Actor Amitabh Bachchan took to social media to share his experience of traversing through the newly-inaugurated Coastal Road tunnel in Mumbai, connecting Marine Drive and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. Describing the tunnel as “a marvel,” Bachchan lauded its ability to significantly reduce travel time between the two points. 

The Coastal Road, spanning 10.8 kilometers with a two-kilometer-long tunnel between Priyadarshini Park and Marine Drive, was inaugurated in its first phase on March 11 by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. The ambitious project, which commenced on October 13, 2018, is estimated to cost ₹12,721 crore.

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

Sharing his experience on social media, Bachchan remarked, “Went first time in the TUNNEL – Enter before Haji Ali and out Halfway to Marine Drive… a Marvel,” in his post marked as T 4968. The video quickly garnered over 50,000 views within minutes, with users flooding the comments section with their thoughts and appreciation.

“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, expressing admiration for Bachchan’s appreciation of the infrastructure.

“Thanks to Maharashtra Government and Nitin Gadkari ji,” added another user, acknowledging the collaborative effort behind the project.

The Coastal Road has significantly reduced travel time, with the journey from Worli to Marine Drive now taking less than 10 minutes during peak hours, compared to the previous duration of 40-50 minutes. Additionally, authorities have implemented speed limits along the route, with a maximum of 80 kilometers per hour on straight roads, reduced to 60 kmph inside the tunnel and at turning points and entry/exit points, where the speed limit is set at 40 kmph.

Furthermore, plans for a world-class Central Park spread over 320 acres along the road, named ‘Dharmaveer Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road,’ have been announced by Mr. Shinde earlier this month, adding another dimension to Mumbai’s evolving infrastructure landscape.