The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has invited bids for the maintenance of the Mumbai Coastal Road from Marine Drive to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. The contract will last for five years and is valued at INR 84 crores. This decision comes after videos of patchwork repairs on the coastal road surfaced on social media and led to backlash from public.
The maintenance contract includes these responsibilities:
- The selected contractor will handle road repairs and resurfacing.
- Fire safety systems need to be upgraded and maintained.
- Regular upkeep of essential facilities within the tunnels is also required.
- The SCADA system (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) must be maintained as well.
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is currently managing the coastal road project. There is no toll for motorists using the road at present. The BMC has not yet decided whether a toll will be implemented in the future.
The deadline for submitting bids is April 11, 2025. A pre-bid meeting will be held on April 25 under the Chief Engineer (Coastal Road). The tender will be opened on April 28.
The civic body faced criticism in early March after two videos of patchwork repairs went viral. The repairs were seen on the northbound stretch near Haji Ali, the bridge towards Worli, and inside the twin tunnels. The civic body responded, saying that the extra layer of mastic seen in the videos is not a defect.
The BMC is also looking for private investment to build an open space of 70 hectares along the road. It plans to raise INR 400 crores through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Five companies have submitted Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for this project.
The civic body will select a company that aligns with its vision. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with the chosen firm. The BMC will not bear any financial costs for this.
The Mumbai Coastal Road Project (South) is almost complete, with 95% of the work finished. Both carriageways are now open for traffic. Currently, a 7.5 km promenade, covering 11 hectares, is under construction. It is designed to resemble Marine Drive. Tata Sons is leading the redevelopment of a 5-hectare median along the road. This section is expected to open by May 2025.
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