Mumbai coastal road project to be extended upto Ahmedabad in 3rd phase

Mumbai:The ‘bhoomipujan’ of Mumbai civic body’s ambitious nearly 30 km long Coastal Road project will be done by monsoon season next year, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said today.

“We are committed towards providing a happy and stress- free life to Mumbaikars. Today is a day of satisfaction as the initial works of the Coastal Road project that was dreamt by residents of Mumbai has been started,” Thackeray told reporters after conducting a survey of the coastal road.

He said a survey of the soil at the seabed is being done and that the rocks present on the ocean floor will be used in the tunnel work of the project.

“The most important part is that there will be no disturbance to the beauty of Girgaum Chowpatty as part of this project. The tunnel that will start from Chowpatty will end near Priyadarshini park, and thus, there will be no traffic disturbance when the project work is going on,” he said.

Thackeray said from Priyadarshini park, the coastal road will pass through Bandra Sea Link upto Gorai.

“The ‘bhoomipujan’ (ground breaking ceremony) will happen by the monsoon season next year. The pre-qualification bids for coastal road project has also been started,” he said.

Meanwhile, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Ajoy Mehta said that international companies have shown their interest in the project.

The project will cost around Rs 14,000 crores and the tender process will be completed by March 2017, he said.

Mehta said the first phase will include development of a road between Princess street and Bandra Sea Link, the work of which will be completed by 2019. The second phase will include a sea link between Bandra and Kandivali.

“A third phase, the road of which will be built upto Ahmedabad, has been proposed,” he said.

Mehta said the Navy, Coast Guard, Maritime Board, and the state Environment department has given a clearance for the project and a clearance from the Union Environment ministry is soon expected.