An 11-member expert technical committee submitted its final report on the coastal road plan to the Maharashtra chief minister. The coastal freeway will comprise a combination of coastal road based on reclamation, bridge, elevated roads and tunnels as well as roads on existing lands and stilts. At the starting point will be a reclaimed road between Manora MLA hostel up to NCPA. From NCPA, there will be a tunnel going up to Marine Drive. It will continue further as a tunnel under Malabar Hill and exit beyond Priyadarshini Park at Nepean Sea Road. From here till Haji Ali, it will continue on a reclaimed road. A connecting bridge between NSCI at Worli and Baroda Palace will be again on a reclaimed road connecting up to the Bandra-Worli Sealink. Another reclaimed road will start from the north end of the sealink, skirt the Bandra Fort and stretch along Bandra Bandstand, Chimbai village and Carter Road. An elevated road skirting the Khar-Danda village will go underground at Juhu airport. The tunnel would exit at Ritambhara College in Juhu and run as a reclaimed road up to Nana Nani Park. From there, an elevated road takes it to the New Fisheries Institute at Versova, branching into two directions—one arm of it will be a reclaimed road right up to Mindspace in Malad. The other arm extends up to Versova village jetty. From the junction of the road leading to Goregaon Sports Club, the freeway will be on elevated over the creek at Malad Marve Road and join Link Road. The committee recommended two options for the project. The first involves a reclaimed road in mangrove areas with bridges and culverts to allow free movement of water. “It’s a less expensive option and easy to implement with reduced time for construction. Although this option entails short-term environmental issues arising out of compensatory mangrove plantations, no long-term damage to the environment is expected.” The second option envisages about 8 km of stilted or elevated roads. However, this would enhance the cost by about Rs 1,000 crore and will be more difficult to maintain. The cost will reduce by Rs 1,000 crore if the tunnel proposed between NCPA and Marine Drive is omitted. “The committee considers reclamation as a highly cost-effective option and one that also entails other benefits through creation of large open spaces to citizens,” said the report. It suggested a non-stop electronic toll collection for every entry into the freeway. “The committee also stresses the importance of maintenance and asset management and recommends that these aspects along with construction be entrusted to a professional agency on the lines of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation,’’ it said. “Completion of this project would mean a quantum leap towards enhancing the quality of life in the city. The added advantage is that it involves no land acquisition and virtually no resettlement component.’’
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