Mumbai: Maharashtra minister and BJP candidate from the Malabar Hill assembly constituency, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, has addressed a letter to the chief engineer of the Mumbai Coastal Road project urging to implement traffic solutions at Mukesh Chowk in Kemps Corner.
The Free Press Journal has accessed a letter addressed to Chief Engineer Mantaiyya Swami. In the letter, Mr. Lodha notes, “It has been observed by me, as well as reported by residents, NGOs, and vigilant citizens of Mumbai, that while the coastal road offers significant relief, it has also contributed to increased traffic congestion in certain areas.” The letter highlights a specific issue at Mukesh Chowk, where motorists are forced to wait for 5 to 10 minutes, with delays worsening during VVIP movements.
In his suggestion, Mr. Lodha requests consideration of an exit from the MSRDC plot, stating, “I urge you to consider this solution, as it would not only alleviate the traffic congestion issues at Warden Road, Kemps Corner, Nepean Sea Road, and Mukesh Chowk but would also reduce travel time for those heading to Nepean Sea Road, Walkeshwar Road, Teen Batti, and the VVIP area of Malabar Hill.”
Mr Lodha has requested Swami to appoint a technical consultant to resolve the issue, and assured his cooperation from his end and as well from the residents.
The Free Press Journal has previously reported on complaints from residents of Nepean Sea Road, Malabar Hill, and Breach Candy—upscale neighborhoods directly connected to the Coastal Road exit—about severe traffic congestion. During an FPJ visit to the location highlighted by Mr. Lodha, it was observed that traffic moving towards Mukesh Chowk, in the direction of Nepean Sea Road, Malabar Hill, and Walkeshwar, experienced heavy congestion, particularly in the evening hours and worsened during VVIP movements.
Unlike other parts of Mumbai, where traffic bottlenecks are primarily caused by poor road conditions or high vehicle influx, South Mumbai’s broader and better-maintained roads face congestion mainly due to malfunctioning signaling systems at exits or VVIP movements.
At Mukesh Chowk, the issue begins on Nepean Sea Road, where multiple lanes from the coastal road merge into a single lane near Gangar Optician on Warden Road, causing significant delays. The situation is further aggravated by a manual traffic management system, where police and traffic wardens control traffic flow.
Residents have blamed the BMC for inadequate planning of the exit route at Vatsalabai Desai Junction, also known as Haji Ali Junction, where traffic flows towards Nepean Sea Road and connects to Mukesh Chowk.
