In yet another setback for Mumbaikars, the deadline for opening up the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) ambitious Coastal Road to vehicular traffic is expected to be pushed by nearly seven months.
The civic body has time and again assured that the Coastal Road would be ready for public use by November 2023.
However, the project is likely to be pushed to June 2024 owing to delays caused on the account of agitating fisherfolk from Worli Koliwada, sources stated.
The community has been demanding a span of 200 metres between two piers under the Coastal Road-Sea Link interchange, for safe navigation of boats operating from Cleveland Bunder, an artisan fishing port in the koliwada.
Earlier, the dispute was finally resolved in December 2022, when the BMC agreed to provide a span of 120 metres for their boats, up from the 60 metres promised. Following the change in design specifications, the BMC appointed two consultants to finalise the new design of the piers and decide on a new timeline for executing the project.
Since construction of one pier was cancelled, the load from that portion will go on to the piers on each side. Hence, both these new piers have to be redesigned to bear 1.5 times the weight from its original capacity, said a BMC official.
Owing to this delay in resolving the demands, a significant time from the construction season (non-monsoon season) was already lost and project deadlines will be pushed by nearly seven months, officials added.
The vehicular traffic cannot open unless this construction is completed, the official said adding that a report with details of the delay is expected from the consultants.
Besides, on February 28, chief minister Eknath Shinde had said in the assembly that the project is likely to be delayed, but had not specified by how long.
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