Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced plans to extend the under-construction Mumbai Coastal Road to Virar in Palghar district, a part of Mumbai city. Once completed, this extension could reduce travel time from Nariman Point to Virar by about 35-40 minutes. Fadnavis confirmed that Japan would provide Rs 54,000 crore for this ambitious expansion.
"The Japanese government will give Rs 54,000 crore for the extension of the Coastal Road to Virar," Fadnavis added.
Program development and funding
Fadnavis shared updates on the tender process, adding that bidding on the link from Versova to Madh has already started and work on the link from Madh to Uttan will start soon. Eventually, the coastal road will span 29.2 km along the west coast of Mumbai, connecting Marine Lines to Kandivali.
"The work for Madh to Uttan link is starting now," he added.
First phase inauguration and project milestones
Inaugurated by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in March, the first phase of the coastal road, a 10.5-km stretch between Worli and Marine Drive in south Mumbai, hailed as an “engineering marvel," became operational on March 12, 2024, which was up from the original 16,000 vehicles. Originally launched in October 2018, the total project cost is expected to be around Rs 12,721 crore. The extended Mumbai Coastal Road to Virar promises a 30-minute ride from South Bombay to Palghar.
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