One of the most expensive projects in Mumbai to be inaugurated this month

The first phase of the Mumbai coastal road is set to be open for operation in Feb 2024 according to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Also known as the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), BMC is the governing civic body of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra state, India.

To be known, officially, as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Motorway, Mumbai coastal road is an under-construction grade-separated expressway in Mumbai. The road runs for a distance of 29.2 kilometres along Mumbai’s western coastline to connect Marine Lines in the southern region of the city to Kandivali in the northern region.

It features twin tunnels connecting Girgaon Chowpatty and Priyadarshini Park, bridges, interchanges, an 8.5-meter-high seawall, bus bay and parking lots.

Scope of the first and second phases of the Mumbai coastal road project

The Mumbai coastal road project is being carried out in two phases. The 1st phase starts from the Princess Street Flyover to the Worli end of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, a distance of about 10.58 kilometres.

It includes the construction of 8 8-lane surface roads on reclaimed land, bridges, twin tunnels and 3 interchanges with a total length of 15.66 kilometres. This phase also involves the construction of floodgates, a seawall/promenade, the creation of green and recreational spaces, and underground parking facilities.

The second phase, on the other hand, features the construction of the remaining section of the Mumbai coastal road project. This section is between the Bandra end of the BWSL and Kandivali, and it is 19.22 kilometres long including a 9.5-kilometre Versova-Bandra Sea Link.

Work done thus far and companies involved

The implementation of the 1st phase of the Mumbai coastal road began back in 2018. This phase is currently on the verge of completion with 84% of the entire work complete. To be precise, tunnel boring works have been completed 100%.

The excavation of the southbound tunnel commenced in January 2021 and was completed in January the following year (2022). In April of that same year (2022), the boring of the northbound tunnel began and ended in May 2023.

Reclamation works on the other are 97% complete while the construction of the sea wall is 84% complete. The interchange development and bridge construction are 85.5% and 83% complete, respectively.

Some of the companies involved in the implementation of the first phase of the Mumbai coastal road project include Larsen and Toubro, Hindustan Construction Company and Hyundai Development Company. At an estimated cost of US$ 1.6 billion, this phase of the project is considered one of the most expensive projects for BMC.

The start of construction of the second phase is yet to be announced. However, it will reportedly be carried out by Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited (MSRDC) an Indian public limited company fully owned by the Government of Maharashtra.