MMRDA scraps 2 road projects

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to drop two roads, which it had proposed with much fanfare, as officials have now found that the roads will hinder the planning body’s other infrastructure plans.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to drop two roads, which it had proposed with much fanfare, as officials have now found that the roads will hinder the planning body’s other infrastructure plans.

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In September 2008, the MMRDA announced a Rs 50- crore coastal-road project connecting Marine Drive to Cuffe Parade through a 1.2-km road.

Two years later, MMRDA officials realised that the project will clash with their plans for the Rs 3,500-crore Nariman Point redevelopment project.

“Plans for the road have been altered because we will be undertaking the Nariman Point redevelopment work,” MMRDA’s Chief Engineer S. Nandgirikar said.

The coastal road was to begin from the National Centre for Performing Arts at Nariman Point, pass the Free Press building, the Manora MLA hostel on Jagannath Bhosle Marg and Nariman Point fire station and end at Nathalal Parekh Marg at Cuffe Parade.

MMRDA had proposed the road to smoothen traffic flow from Marine Drive to Cuffe Parade. Currently, the traffic has to take a detour on Madam Cama Road.

The clearance for the construction of the road was given by the then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. The CM had also given clearance to construct a 1.25-km road connecting the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) to the Eastern Express Highway near the Chunabhatti bridge.

The metropolitan commissioner had said that work on the Rs 150-crore project would be taken up in the next two months. Two years later, the MMRDA scrapped that project as well, because they had already begun work on the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road by then.

The six-lane elevated road was to wind through BKC’s G Block over the Mithi river bridge, passing through LBS Marg and Somaiyya Ground, and was to connect to the Eastern Express Highway at the Chunabhatti bridge.

“The MMRDA had passed a resolution in October 2008, stating that we wouldn’t take up any kind of city-level infrastructure in the coming future but work for bigger projects,” MMRDA Joint Project Director, Dilip Kawathkar said.