Marine Drive to get new look

Seventy-two years after the construction of Marine Drive, the area - also known as Queen’s Necklace - is set to get new look. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday had decided to resurface the entire stretch.

The 4.3-km long concretised road was built in British Era in 1940. It starts from Nariman Point and touches Girgaum Chawpatty with a semi-circular curve.

Marine Drive is one of the busiest roads in South Mumbai as many government and corporate offices are located in the area.

Rahul Shewale, standing committee chairman, said, “Since then, no work is carried out on the entire stretch. The road will be resurfaced with mastic asphalt. We have appointed ‘Techno Zen’ as a consultant for it and the tenders for the same will be invited in October.”

The BMC has made a budgetary provision of Rs15 crore for the financial year 2012-13.

According to officials from the roads department, though repair work on Marine Drive is carried out by the civic body many times, the resurfacing is aimed at putting a cement layer to ensure smoothness  .

“After the resurfacing it with mastic asphalt, rain water can not be absorbed into it. So, there are less chances of it getting scratched,” said a senior official from the roads department.