Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday said that all major hurdles in the Mumbai Coastal Road project, which is planned to extend up to Virar in Palghar district, have been cleared, and work on the extension will begin soon.
Currently, the coastal road stretches from Marine Drive in South Mumbai to Worli, connecting to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. In future phases, it will extend to Versova and ultimately to Virar, which is a part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Once completed, the travel time from Nariman Point to Virar is expected to reduce to just 35–40 minutes.
“All approvals related to the Coastal Road project, including land acquisition, transfer of saltpan lands, and clearances from the Coastal Regulation Zone, Environment Ministry, and Forest Department, have been secured,” Goyal said.
Speaking after chairing a high-level review meeting in Mumbai, the Union Commerce Minister said the project would now move ahead rapidly.
The minister, who is a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) from the North Mumbai Constituency, added that he has been actively following up with state and Central authorities to ensure progress.
“The project will benefit not only North Mumbai residents but the entire city and tourists. Future extensions are planned up to Dahisar and Virar,” he said.
Various development works in North Mumbai were reviewed during the meeting, which was attended by senior officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Thane and Mumbai Suburban district collectors, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), public works department, and the police.
Goyal also shared updates on two other key infrastructure projects. He said that while work on the Madh-Versova Bridge has been expedited, the Borivali-Thane tunnel project construction is expected to start within two months.
Measures will be implemented to ease congestion on the Western Express Highway, including restrictions on heavy private vehicles, he added.
According to Goyal, 108 Mumbai Metro construction vehicles and garbage transport trucks will carry identifiable signboards, and strict action will be taken against unauthorised vehicles using fake municipal identifiers. Three major traffic choke points on the highway have also been identified and will soon be addressed, he informed.
Goyal added that 10 lakes in North Mumbai will be rejuvenated through desilting, cleaning, and beautification under a public-private partnership model. Regarding the water shortage complaints in Gorai and Charkop, inspections of pipelines have been completed, and repair and pressure-improvement measures are underway, he said.
On sanitation, the minister stated that 79 “pay and use” public toilets will soon become operational, with upkeep managed by private agencies.
He also directed officials of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority and BMC to blacklist developers who fail to hand over flats or occupancy certificates on time and bar them from future projects.
Goyal further warned that strict legal action will be taken against encroachment and mangrove destruction, including actions against truck drivers involved in illegal dumping or reclamation, and municipal officers would be held accountable if garbage heaps are found in North Mumbai.
(With PTI inputs)
