The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is considering partially commissioning the under-construction Coastal Road in November 2023. While around 76% of the work is completed, BMC temporarily suspended the construction along the sea because of the onset of the monsoon.
Quoting officials, a TOI report said only one side of the Coastal Road’s twin tunnel (from Girgaum Chowpatty to Priyadarshini Park), especially the right-hand tunnel (RHS) from south to north, will be accessible in November.
The BMC is also considering opening the road from Marine Drive to either Haji Ali or 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,” an official said.
The project, originally budgeted at Rs 12,721 crore, and commenced in November 2018, was scheduled for completion by November 2023. The entire project, however, is expected to be completed by May 2024.
The project’s chief engineer, Mantayya Swami, said a design modification was needed due to some resistance from Worli fisherfolk, therefore, the completion of the Worli end of the project will be delayed and that portion will not be accessible by November 2023. “Fisherfolk demanded a navigation span of 120 metres between two piers, which we have accepted,” Swami was quoted by TOI as saying.
The completion of the project by May 2024 does not include the construction of underground car parks, or the development of reclaimed land, which will house amenities such as jogging tracks, cycling tracks, butterfly gardens, and other open-air facilities. The additional work will continue until June 2025.
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