Mumbai: The BMC will soon begin the long-awaited concretisation of south Mumbai roads. To prevent future disruptions, the project will include the simultaneous replacement and repair of old pipelines. A contractor will be appointed for this work across nine wards in the island city, from Colaba to Mahim, with an estimated budget of Rs. 117 crores.
The BMC's work orders involve the concretisation of 701 kilometers of roads across various city areas. The project will commence next month, with the hydraulic engineering department first replacing old pipes beneath the roads.
A tender has been issued for appointing a contractor for the following areas: A (Colaba, Fort), B (Dongri), C (Marine Lines), D (Malabar Hill, Grant Road), E (Byculla, Nagpada), F South (Parel), F North (Sion, Wadala), G South (Worli, Prabhadevi), and G North (Mahim, Dadar).
"The pipelines in the island city are old and need replacement in some areas. We will coordinate the pipeline replacement between Colaba and Mahim to avoid future road excavation. This will ensure that we do not have to dig up the roads again for the next 10 years. This work will proceed simultaneously with the road concretisation over the next two years," said a civic official from the hydraulic department.
The concretisation program has faced challenges, including the termination of a contract this January. Phase 1 of the project, covering 208 roads previously awarded to Roadways Solution Infra India Ltd (RSIIL), is now being undertaken by NCC Ltd. Phase 2 will be handled by GHV. Both contracts, awarded at 4% above the BMC's estimate, will be executed concurrently.
"Given the challenges of working in South Mumbai, including traffic, VIP restrictions, and high land surface temperatures, the work will be conducted mostly at night," said an official of road department. Mumbai's road network spans 2,050 km, with approximately 1,000 km already concretised. Following a directive from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde last year, the BMC is committed to concretising all roads to make the city pothole-free.
