MMRDA Revives Rs 588 Crore Nariman Point to Cuffe Parade Coastal Bridge
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has revived its proposed Rs 588-crore coastal bridge project linking Dorabji Tata Road at Nariman Point to Captain Prakash Pethe Marg in Cuffe Parade. The 1.869-km project, which was previously shelved following opposition from local fishermen, has entered the environmental clearance stage with a revised alignment designed to reduce travel times between the two south Mumbai neighborhoods from 25 minutes to five minutes.
The MMRDA has approached the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) for permission to construct the bridge in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). The revival follows the Maharashtra government's approval of a revised alignment in December last year.
Originally tendered in 2022, the project was awarded to Larsen & Toubro (L&T) the following year. However, work was abandoned in 2023 after local residents and fishermen objected, stating that the bridge would pass through one of the city's last remaining traditional fishing bunds. MMRDA officials stated that the redesigned alignment significantly reduces the impact on the bund.
Unlike the original proposal, most of the revised bridge will stand on pillars in the sea to limit reclamation. Only about 400 meters of approach ramps will be constructed on reclaimed land, requiring the reclamation of approximately 0.077 hectares of the sea. Because of space constraints, the four-lane carriageway has been designed as a double-decker bridge, featuring two lanes on each level.
The project will require the acquisition of around 1,765 square meters of land for the approach ramps, including portions of private land, BMC land, and Mumbai Port Trust property. Some slum structures are also expected to be affected. Additionally, project documents indicate that 132 trees fall within the project footprint, of which 53 are proposed to be felled while 79 will be transplanted.
The need for the bridge has grown due to other ongoing developments on Mumbai’s southern waterfront, including the redevelopment of the former Air India building into a government complex, a proposed luxury marina at Cuffe Parade, and anticipated traffic from the upcoming Orange Gate-Marine Drive tunnel. Currently, motorists traveling between Nariman Point and Cuffe Parade rely on Madame Cama Road and General Jagannath Bhosale Road, which face severe congestion during peak hours.
Adding momentum to the project, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar chaired a review meeting this week with officials from various agencies to expedite approvals and fast-track execution. MMRDA plans to invite fresh tenders once it secures all necessary environmental clearances, including approvals from the Union environment ministry.
