BMC may open Coastal Road only partially in November

MUMBAI: The BMC is assessing options for partially commissioning the under-construction Coastal Road in November. While significant progress has been made, with 76% work completion, the BMC has temporarily suspended construction along the sea due to the monsoon.

Most ongoing work is concentrated on the landward side, on reclaimed land. Officials say that in November, only one side of the Coastal Road's twin tunnel (from Girgaum Chowpatty to Priyadarshini Park), specifically the right-hand tunnel (RHS) from south to north, will be accessible. The options currently under consideration include opening the road from Marine Drive to either Haji Ali or to JK Kapoor Chowk in Worli.
"There is still pending work on the left hand tunnel (LHS), which is planned to be opened in May 2024," said an official. Originally budgeted at Rs 12,721 crore, the project, which commenced in November 2018, was scheduled for completion by November 2023. But the BMC now feels that a much smaller portion can be opened to motorists by the deadline. The project's chief engineer, Mantayya Swami, said a design modification was necessary due to resistance from Worli fisherfolk. Consequently, the completion of the Worli end of the project will face delays, and that portion will not be accessible by November 2023. Swami explained, "Fisherfolk demanded a navigation span of 120 metres between two piers, which we have accepted."
The entire project is expected to be completed by May 2024. But this does not include the construction of underground car parks and the development of reclaimed land, which will house amenities such as jogging tracks, cycling tracks, butterfly gardens, and other open air facilities. These additional works are projected to continue until June 2025.
Vijay Zore, a sub-engineer involved in the project, confirmed that work on the underground car parks has already commenced, and the areas above will be transformed into open spaces accessible to the public.
In the meantime, Vipul Surana, a general consultant from project consultants AECOM, has initiated discussions with the contractors to determine which sections can be opened. Surana emphasized the need to consider feasibility without causing further delays to the overall project.