Work on Mumbai's Coastal Road to finally start by September
Work on BMC's ambitious 8-lane Coastal Road in Mumbai will start this September, as the contractors for two portions of the 9.98-km road have already been selected. The financial bidding for the southernmost portion will open in a few days. The Rs. 15,000cr project, also called Western Freeway, will connect Nariman Point in the south to Kandivali, a suburb in North Mumbai.
For ease of approval, the project was divided into two phases. The first phase, 9.98km from Princess Street flyover till Bandra-Worli Sea Link, was further divided into three parts. BMC officials have asked the contractors to assemble resources so that they can start work post monsoon. By February, the civic body had received all the 17 clearances it required from the state and Center.
The tender for the first part, from Worli to Haji Ali, went to a joint collaboration of HCC and Hyundai Development Corporation. The stretch from Priyadarshini Park to Haji Ali would be constructed by Larsen & Toubro. As per their contracts, the project is expected to be completed by 2022. Incidentally, BMC had earlier announced that work on the coastal project will start April-end.
The project, which will also connect the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, will have an underground tunnel in Malabar Hill, foot-over-bridges, and dedicated areas for bus stops. Out of the 8, two lanes of the project will be solely for buses. A pedestrian underpass will connect Haji Ali Dargah. BMC had planned to rope in project management consultants for reviewing the designs and suggest changes.
