Work on the 35.6km coastal road project, which will run from Nariman Point to Kandivli, will commence soon as all possible hurdles have been removed, said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday during the state assembly's winter session in Nagpur.
How will the road help?
The coastal road is expected to cut down travel time from anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes, giving some much-needed relief to Mumbaikars who face traffic jams daily during the morning and evening rush hours. The road will decongest the city, particularly the western suburbs, of 60% traffic, Fadnavis said.
Which areas will be on the route?
The coastal road will run parallel to the existing stretch going from Nariman Point to Kandivli. It will start from Manora Guest House opposite Mantralaya and progress through a tunnel between the NCPA and Air India building.
When will the project get an all-clear?
Fadnavis said, "The Centre has agreed to amend its 2011 Ministry of Environment and Forest notification, permitting reclamation of land for the road's construction. The amendment will be done in the next two months. Earlier, the Congress-NCP-led government had submitted the proposal to the Centre but the UPA government could not act on it and that delayed the project."
Project details
For the road, the state government is going to reclaim nearly 8km of sea coast land. The entire road will also have elevated stretches. There will be 18 exit and entry points. The state has estimated Rs7,000 crore as the cost.
What about funds?
As per government officials, they have already collected half of the amount required by way of fungible floor space index. "The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has collected Rs3,500 crore as premium recovered from fungible FSI, the rest can come from the state and central governments," said a senior government official.
When was the coastal road idea conceived?
The idea of the coastal road was conceived during former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan's tenure. Chavan's cabinet had issued the resolution on June 30, 2011, by forming an 11-member joint committee, under the chairmanship of then civic chief Subodh Kumar. The panel consisting of architects, urban planners and experts in oceanography submitted the report to the government on December 29, 2011. Subsequently, the BMC had appointed Ernst and Young consultants to carry out a feasibility study with the roads department. Environment experts cried foul that this blatant reclamation will create ecological problems.
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