Mumbai Coastal Road project: Here's all you need to know

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The Coastal Road project in Mumbai has been a subject of significant debate and discussion, touted as a transformative infrastructure initiative aimed at easing congestion and enhancing connectivity along the city's western coastline. As one of the largest urban infrastructure projects in India, the Coastal Road has captured public attention, sparking conversations about its potential benefits, environmental impact, and socio-economic implications.

Here's all you need to know about Mumbai Coastal Road project:

Mumbai Coastal Road project: Overview

The Coastal Road project envisages the construction of an approximately 29.2-kilometer-long freeway along Mumbai's western coastline, stretching from Marine Drive in South Mumbai to Kandivali in the northern suburbs. The proposed road aims to provide a direct and uninterrupted corridor for vehicular traffic, bypassing congested inland routes and offering scenic views of the Arabian Sea.

Mumbai Coastal Road project: Traffic decongestion

The Coastal Road promises to alleviate chronic traffic congestion plaguing Mumbai's arterial roadways, offering an alternative route for commuters traveling along the city's western coastline. By diverting vehicular traffic away from congested inland roads, the project seeks to reduce travel times, ease bottlenecks, and enhance overall traffic flow within the city.

Mumbai Coastal Road project: Environmental concerns

Despite its touted benefits, the Coastal Road project has been met with criticism and opposition from environmental activists, conservationists, and concerned citizens. Many have argued that the construction of the road poses a significant threat to Mumbai's fragile coastal ecosystem, including mangrove forests, intertidal habitats, and marine biodiversity. The reclamation of coastal land, dredging activities, and disruption of natural hydrological processes could have far-reaching ecological consequences, exacerbating coastal erosion, flooding, and habitat loss.

Mumbai Coastal Road project: Who is executing the project?

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is overseeing the project's execution, with consulting expertise provided by AECOM as the general consultant.

Mumbai Coastal Road project: Two phases

The Coastal Road, officially named the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Motorway, is an under construction 8-lane, 29.2-km long grade separated expressway that would run along Mumbai's western coastline connecting Marine Drive in the south to Kandivali in the north. It is expected to reduce travel time between South Mumbai and the Western Suburbs from 2 hours to only 40 minutes.

Phase 1:

The ongoing first phase covers the 10.5-km-long south section, linking Marine Drive with the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. The project will have two underground tunnels at Malabar Hill and Girgaon Chowpatty. The estimated cost of the phase 1 is approximately Rs 12,700 crore.

Phase 2:

The second phase encompasses between Versova and Dahisar. At the end of 2023, the BMC awarded four infrastructure firms' contracts for the second phase of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project. The Mumbai Coastal Road Project, designed to connect Versova in the western suburbs to Dahisar in the northernmost part of Mumbai, has been divided into six packages (A, B, C, D, E, and F).

Package A will cover 4.5 km between Versova and Bangur Nagar (Goregaon), package B will cover 1.66 between Bangur Nagar and Mindspace (Malad). Packages C and D include a north and south-bound carriageway that will be created between Mindspace and Charkop (Kandivali). Each of these packages would be 3.66 KM each. Package E will be 3.78 km and will connect Charkop with Gorai and Package F will be 3.69 km, connecting Gorai with Dahisar.

Mumbai Coastal Road project: What is the status?

The first phase of the Mumbai Coastal Road was supposed to be inaugurated by Prime Narendra Modi on February 19, but it has been postponed.

Mumbai Coastal Road project: Toll charges

Earlier in January, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had said that the Mumbai coastal road connecting Marine Drive with Bandra-Worli Sea Link will be toll-free.