Mumbai Coastal Road Project Phase 1: BMC's Delays Cause Cost Overrun Of ₹1,243 Crores; Contractor Penalised

Mumbai: The delay in the construction of the BMC's ambitious Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP) Phase 1 has caused a cost escalation of Rs 1,243 crores to date. The civic body has imposed a penalty of Rs 14 crores on the contractor, according to a response to an RTI query. The Coastal road is expected to be fully operational by December 2024.

The Mumbai Coastal Road Project (South) is divided into three sections: from Princess Street flyover to Priyadarshani Park, from Baroda Palace to Priyadarshani Park, and the final segment connecting to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. When the contract was awarded, the initial project cost was Rs 8,425.44 crores, with an expected completion time of four years.

However, since work began in 2018, delays have persisted for six years due to various reasons. According to an RTI reply from assistant engineer for the coastal road project, the total cost escalation to date is Rs 1,243.26 crores, and a penalty of Rs 14 crores has been imposed.

The 10.58-km Coastal Road stretches from the Princess Street Flyover at Marine Drive to the Worli end of the BWSL. The southern arm of the road, from Worli to Marine Drive, opened on March 12; the northern arm, from Marine Drive to Haji Ali, opened on June 10; and the 3.5-km stretch from Haji Ali to Abdul Gaffer Khan opened on July 11.

The one side of bridge connecting Mumbai Coastal road to Bandra-Worli Sea link (BWSL) was opened for northbound traffic on September 13. The work on the another side of connector and final part of the project is expected to be complete by end of December.

The Coastal Road has reduced travel time by 70% and fuel consumption by 34%, claims the civic official. The speed limits for the route are set at 80 km/h on straight stretches, 60 km/h within tunnels, 40 km/h at turns, and 30 km/h at the merging point of the Coastal Road and sea link.