FILE-Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis inspecting a tunnel in the Coastal Road being constructed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on 19/09/2022. (Express Photo/FILE by Ganesh Shirsekar) In what could be a breather to motorists battling the traffic snarls in Dahisar check naka of Mumbai and the satellite city of Mira Bhayander, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Saturday issued tender to build the elevated road linking Dahisar West to Bhayandar (West) – the last leg of the coastal road. At present, it takes nearly 30 minutes for a 5-kilometre journey via the check naka.
The tender, published by the department of bridges, has set a deadline of 42 months, inclusive of monsoon, to finish the project.
The elevated road with a width of 45 metres will have some bridges. Ahead of the construction, the contractor will have to get clearance from the state coastal zone management authority and the forest department as the alignment passes through mangroves. The tender also mandates pre-approval from Maharashtra Maritime Board, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation and salt commissioner.
“Once the BMC completes the work of the northern stretch of the coastal road connecting Dahisar and Bhayander, traffic snarls at Dahisar check naka will soon be a thing of the past. It would cut down nearly 70 per cent of the traffic snarls,” BMC officials said.
As per rough estimates, the road will cost the BMC around Rs 1,600 crore and the land acquisition may also cost an equal amount.
Earlier this year, the MMRDA agreed in principle to hand over the Dahisar stretch of the coastal road to BMC.
The construction of the first phase of the coastal road is progressing at Princess Street and is expected to be completed next year. The second phase starts near the southern end of the Worli Bandra Sealink, while the third phase starts from the northern end of the Sealink and ends at Versova. However, there is not much clarity on the stretch between Versova and Dahisar.