Coastal road final alignment plan delayed by three months

Apart from the 6-km undersea tunnel that finds mention in the latest draft of the design, two alternatives are under consideration. One of these will be a road constructed along the Juhu beach that can open up the seafront. “After reclamation of land, we can create an artificial beach and construct a road along it. This road will cost around Rs 50 crore per km, while the 8-lane undersea tunnel will cost about Rs 450 crore per km,” a senior official said. The total cost of the coastal road project is Rs 10,000 crore.

The official added that though this solution is more viable, it is likely to receive opposition from citizens’ groups. The joint technical committee working on the project had suggested a third alternative that involves a cut-and-cover tunnel under the existing DP Road.

Officials have said it will not be possible to avoid mangroves completely in designing the alignment. Sanjay Mukherjee, additional municipal commissioner, who made a presentation to the MCZMA on January 16, had mentioned that the BMC would ensure that three times the number of mangroves chopped would be planted in the stretch from Versova to Kandivli. With another round of planning scheduled, BMC officials are expecting the further delay. Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta could not be reached for his comment.

arita.sarkar@expressindia.com