The much-awaited partial opening of the coastal road will take place at the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 19. He will also attend the ground-breaking ceremony of the twin tunnels being constructed as part of the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road project.
Mumbai's coastal road
Aimed at transforming the way Mumbai commutes, the coastal road is another modern infrastructure to be dedicated to the public after the recent inauguration of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL). The PM will open the coastal road spanning from Marine Drive to Worli, informed BMC administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal, adding that the civic body has spent Rs13,060 crore for laying the stretch. The second lane will be opened on May 15, he informed.
Uddhav Thackeray slams PM
After the MTHL's opening, this is the PM's second visit to the city ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Hence, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray slammed Modi's trip. "I did bhoomi pujan for the coastal road's sea highway stretching from Worli to Nariman Point. Now, the PM is coming to inaugurate it. So, one thing has gone well, proving Uddhav Thackeray fulfills what he promises," said the former chief minister, taking a swipe at 'Modi's guarantee' slogan.
As per latest report, 83.34% coastal road works have been completed, while the task is yet to be completed at the Worli end on the opposite lane. The delay is a result of the fishing community's demand of increasing the distance between two pillars so their boats can pass through. Accordingly, the plan was altered, leading to extension of the deadline. Other remaining works include installations of CCTV, video managing system, and emergency communication and modern traffic management system facilities.
In the 2024-25 budget, the BMC made provision of Rs2,900 crore for the futuristic project, which also involves developing recreational facilities on 70 hectares of reclaimed land. In 2022, the Bombay High Court gave the nod for the same. Tendering process for the purpose has been initiated, said Chahal.
Coastal road to be gradually expanded till Mira Road
He further said that the coastal road will be gradually expanded till Mira Road. After completion of the southbound works, construction will begin on the Versova-Dahisar-Mira-Road stretch. The project is divided into seven phases and work orders have been also issued to contractors. The route from Bandra to Versova is being constructed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs24,000 crore. One lane of the Versova-Mira road stretch will be opened by fiscal 2028-29, said Chahal.
