A year after the Mumbai Coastal Road–South began 24×7 operations, average daily traffic rose nearly 81%, from around 34,500 vehicles to 62,640. The road opened in phases from March 2024 and was earlier available only from 7am to midnight.
Before round-the-clock operations, the Coastal Road recorded 19,209 vehicles southbound and 15,330 northbound daily. After 24×7 access began, traffic increased to 33,077 vehicles southbound and 29,563 northbound, taking the combined daily figure to 62,640 vehicles. Before August 15, 2025, the Coastal Road recorded an average of about 11.35 lakh vehicle movements a month. Since becoming a 24×7 road, the figure has climbed to nearly 18.8 lakh monthly movements, marking an increase of around 66%.
The signal-free Coastal Road prohibits pedestrians, two-wheelers and heavy vehicles, leaving public transport users dependent on BEST buses. Only two routes, A84 and A78, are currently operational on the road, raising concerns about access for public transit users.
The road was expected to carry nearly 68,000 cars in one direction alone, while current traffic remains well below those projections. Since the first section of the Mumbai Coastal Road was inaugurated in March 2024, around 4.1 crore vehicles have used the south section. Despite the rise in traffic, the Coastal Road has not reached the volumes projected during planning. Residents and urban planners are looking towards the northward extension of the Coastal Road to improve traffic flow. Congestion is currently seen at the Mhada junction in Bandra East and again near the university after the smooth Coastal Road stretch. The figures show increased usage after the road became available to motorists throughout the day and night.
