Mumbai transport: BKC Coastal Road to open today, could ease traffic snags

Paved by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, the connector links the central business district’s G Block with the Eastern Express Highway

MUMBAI: Traffic congestion on the arterial road of the Bandra-Kurla Complex is likely to reduce from Monday with the opening of a new 180-metre stretch of signal-free road between the MTNL junction and the BKC-Chunabhatti connector. The new road is adjoining the Mithi river.

Bandra Kurla Complex. (Vijay Bate/HT Photo)

Paved by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the connector links the central business district’s G Block with the Eastern Express Highway. Therefore, it is expected to reduce road travel time.

With the rising number of commercial spaces in BKC, the vehicular traffic has increased manifold. During the morning and evening rush hours, it takes a minimum of half an hour to navigate only four km, that is an average speed of seven to eight minutes per kilometre. This travel duration is apart from the 15 minutes taken to enter and exit BKC.

The ongoing construction activities of Mumbai Metro 2B (Andheri West-BKC-Mandale) and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train has also increased the commuting woes of BKC’s office goers.

At the moment, BKC has four major entry-exit routes. These are Sion-Dharavi- Kalanagar, the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road, Taximen’s Colony and the BKC-Chunabhatti connector.

The BKC-Chunabhatti connector is the latest linkage to the central business district and was opened on November 10, 2019. It gained popularity among motorists travelling to and from Mumbai’s eastern suburbs, and this translated into heavy traffic snarls on BKC’s internal roads, especially during the morning and evening peak hours. This necessitated the paving of a new road to disperse congestion on the existing roads within the business district.

“The latest project involves the construction of a crucial link road connecting the SEBI Building to Avenue 5 and Avenue 3 near WeWork,” an MMRDA official told Hindustan Times. This 180-meter, six-lane (3+3) road will provide signal-free movement, reducing travel time and improving traffic flow.”

The road, which has been laid within six months at an estimated cost of ₹3.98 crore, is expected to facilitate a faster dispersal of traffic to key BKC landmarks such as the MCA Club, multiple consulates and towards the MTNL junction.