Changing City: Coastal Road project to ease woes, change traffic flow in south Mumbai
In this new weekly column, The Indian Express gives a closer view of the way urban infrastructure in Mumbai is being reimagined and how these projects will address the needs of Mumbai and help transform the city.
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The study identified the requirement of a new arterial road along the Western Coast, leading to efforts to construct a Coastal Road.In 2016, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) carried out a feasibility study for the Coastal Road project – which had been proposed over a decade ago – to boost the transportation network and plan for future growth. The study underlined the requirement of a new arterial road along the Western Coast in support of BMC’s proposal to construct the Coastal Road. A look at the project today:
Phase 1: In south Mumbai, from BD Somani Chowk, 280 metres before the Princess Street Flyover at the end of Marine Drive, to the Worli side of the Bandra-Worli Sea link.
10.58 km: Total length
2.07 km: Length of twin tunnels
15.66 km: Length of interchanges
Rs 8,429 crore: Cost of construction
Rs 12,700 crore: Cost of project
Present status:
60%: Overall project completed
111 hectares: Total reclamation
107 hectares: Reclamation completed
70 hectares: Public open space added to Mumbai for recreation, parks
2,000: Proposed parking spaces to be created
November 2023: Deadline
Why it was planned
The BMC commissioned an environmental impact assessment report, along with a feasibility report by STUP Consultants Pvt Ltd as the consultancy and Ernst & Young Pvt Ltd in 2016. The report said, “High growth in the number of vehicles in the last 20 years has resulted in extreme traffic congestion. This has led to long commute times and a serious impact on the productivity in the city as well as defining quality of life of its citizens. The extreme traffic congestion has also resulted in Mumbai witnessing the worst kind of transport-related pollution.”
“Comprehensive Traffic Studies (CTS) were carried out for the island city along with its suburbs to identify transportation requirements to eliminate existing problems and plan for future growth. CTS identified the requirement of a new arterial road along the Western Coast as part of the transportation network. Therefore, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) has proposed to construct a Coastal Road on the western side of the city,” it said.
Who is likely to use the coastal road
*Mainly cars, taxis and aggregate cabs in the city
*Once construction of the Worli-Sewri connector is completed, CTS projects traffic from Navi Mumbai also to move onto the Coastal Road.
Average daily traffic (2016 report):
Sea Link – 49,009
Worli Dairy – 48,699
Napean Sea Road – 30,349
Peddar Road – 81,943
Marine Drive – 53,466
Dadabhai Naoroji Road – 59,704
P D’Mello Road – 46,008
Gokhale Road – 37,814
Mahim – 2,13,769
2%: Projected rise in car ownership, considering development of other modes of transport
3.5%: Increase in on-road light motor vehicles in BMC limits between 2021 and 2022 (as per Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2021-22)
13,58,840: Light motor vehicles on roads in BMC limit in 2022 (as per Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2021-22)
How it will change traffic flow in Mumbai
Will divert traffic mainly from Marine Drive, Dadabhai Naoroji Road, P D’Mello Road, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan Road, Napean Sea Road, Pedder Road, Gokhale Road.
The average journey speed along Coastal Road is projected to be 75 kmph for cars, whereas for the existing road it is around 21 kmph. With the Coastal Road taking a share of the traffic, the average journey speed on the existing road is projected to be 45 kmph.
Authorities speak
MM Swami, Chief Engineer of the Coastal Road Project, said, “At present, we have completed 60 per cent of the total work for the project, and the deadline for completion remains November 2023, as per the original timeline.”
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