PM Modi to inaugurate first phase of Mumbai coastal road on Feb 19: BMC chief

The prime minister will also lay the foundation stone of the Rs 6,200 crore Goregaon-Mulund link road, which will connect the northwest part of the metropolis to the northeast, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first phase of the Mumbai coastal road and lay the foundation stone of the Goregaon-Mulund link road on February 19, civic chief Iqbal Singh Chahal said on Friday. The 10-kilometre, four-lane south-bound stretch from Worli to Marine Drive under phase 1 of the coastal road will be opened for public a day after it is inaugurated by the PM, Chahal told reporters.

Work on the Rs 13,983 crore coastal road is 84 per cent complete and the second phase, which comprises an 8-lane stretch with twin tunnels between Priyadarshini Park in the city’s Malabar Hill area to Marine Drive, will be opened for traffic by May 15 this year, Chahal added. Motorists will be able to cover the Worli to Marine Drive stretch in 10 minutes, down from the 40-45 minutes it takes now, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation chief said.

In the BMC budget for 2024-25 that was presented during the day, Rs 2,800 crore has been allocated for the Marine Drive to Worli stretch of the coastal road, while Rs 1,130 crore has been earmarked for the Verova-Dahisar stretch and Rs 220 crore for the route from Dahisar to Bhayander. Chahal said the work order for all six packages of the Versova-Dahisar stretch had been issued, adding the entire 8-lane route from Marine Drive to Mira-Bhayander will be ready for motorists by 2028-29.

The prime minister will also lay the foundation stone of the Rs 6,200 crore Goregaon-Mulund link road, which will connect the northwest part of the metropolis to the northeast, he said. A work order to the contractor has been given for the project, which was planned 11 years ago but will see the start of construction this year, Chahal said.

In the BMC budget for 2024-25, a sum of Rs 1,610 crore has been earmarked for bridges and Rs 3200 crore for road and traffic department, he said. Gokhale Bridge, which is being built over Western Railway tracks at Andheri, after the original was pulled down due to its dilapidated condition, will be opened for traffic before April 25 this year, the civic chief informed.