The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is redesigning parts of Mumbai’s road network to avoid major traffic bottlenecks on the upcoming northern stretch of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project, which
will connect Versova to Dahisar.
The civic body is planning to integrate at least 10 important routes with the coastal corridor, including new links and realignments from the JVPD flyover to the Mrunaltai Gore bridge in the western suburbs.
Coastal Road Aimed At Reducing Pressure On Existing Routes
According to a report in The Indian Express, the Versova-Dahisar coastal road is being developed as an alternative north-south corridor to ease congestion on the Western Express Highway, Linking Road and SV Road.
However, despite the promise of signal-free travel on the main coastal stretch, officials said traffic congestion is expected at entry and exit points if supporting road infrastructure is not upgraded simultaneously. According to a senior BMC official, the coastal road follows a linear design with fixed entry and exit locations, causing traffic from multiple feeder roads to converge at limited junctions.
Officials warned that this could create severe congestion outside the corridor and eventually affect the carrying capacity of the coastal road itself.
BMC Plans Multiple Entry And Exit Points
To tackle the issue, the BMC is planning multiple access points instead of funnelling all vehicles through a single interchange.
Officials said the strategy aims to distribute traffic more evenly by allowing motorists to enter and exit the coastal road from intermediate sections along the corridor.
The civic body believes this approach will reduce pressure on key junctions and improve traffic flow across the western suburbs.
JVPD Flyover Link Among Key Infrastructure Changes
According to the IE report, one of the major planned interventions involves the flyover near the local self-government office over the Juhu-Vile Parle Development Scheme (JVPD). The flyover will be connected to the Versova Link Road, which will further link to the Versova-Bandra Sea Link connector and eventually merge with the coastal road.
Officials said this connection will allow commuters travelling from the Gokhale Bridge to directly access the CD Barfiwala Flyover and continue towards the Western Express Highway through the JVPD flyover route.
Work on the project is already underway.
The upcoming Versova-Madh Bridge will also connect to the coastal road through the Madh interchange near Lokhandwala.
From there, motorists will be able to access the Western Express Highway, while the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is simultaneously constructing an extended corridor towards the Jogeshwari-Versova Link Road (JVLR).
Additional Links Planned Across Western Suburbs
Several other connectivity upgrades are also being planned as part of the larger traffic management strategy. These include linking the coastal road near the Lokhandwala interchange to an arm of the Mrunaltai Gore Flyover leading towards the Western Express Highway.
The BMC is also planning to connect the upcoming Ramchandra Nullah bridge in Malad to the coastal road through the Mindspace interchange.
Further connections are proposed at:
- Charkop Interchange at Sector 8 with SV Road near Poisar junction
- Link Road at the Gorai Interchange
- Dahisar connector
- Kandarpada rotary
Apart from the coastal road link-ups, the BMC also plans to build a new 5.5-km high-speed corridor between Goregaon and Magathane. The proposed route will run parallel to the Western Express Highway and connect the coastal road with the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR).
Officials said the corridor will provide motorists with direct access to the upcoming GMLR twin tunnels and improve east-west connectivity across the city.
Projects At Different Stages Of Approval
According to civic officials, the approvals for these realignments were submitted alongside permissions for the northern coastal road works. While some projects have already received Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances and entered the construction phase, others are still awaiting environmental approvals.
Officials said some interventions involve changes within the coastal road alignment itself, while others are being developed as separate infrastructure projects.
Once administrative approvals are granted, pending projects will move towards the tendering stage.
North Coastal Road Stretch To Span 22.9 Km
The northern arm of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project will cover a total distance of 22.9 km and will be developed in multiple phases.
The project includes:
- Phase 1: 4.5 km from Versova to Bangur Nagar
- Phase 2: 3.12 km from Goregaon to Mindspace
- Phase 3: 3.9-km twin tunnels between Mindspace and Charkop
- Phase 5: 3.78 km from Charkop to Gorai
- Final Phase: Gorai to Dahisar
Officials said the broader goal is to create an interconnected road network that distributes traffic efficiently while reducing pressure on Mumbai’s major arterial roads.
