BMC Kicks Off Northern Coastal Road Work In Goregaon Final Mangrove Clearance Awaited for Full Rollout
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has commenced on-ground construction of the northern extension of Mumbai’s Coastal Road Project with initial trenching work in Goregaon, covering a 1.2-kilometre stretch that currently falls outside the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). This zone, part of Package B, is the only portion so far cleared for development. The extended corridor will eventually form a 20-kilometre direct coastal route connecting Versova to Bhayandar, transforming commute dynamics across Mumbai’s western suburbs.
The northern segment of the project is designed to pass through high-density neighbourhoods including Malad, Malvani, Kandivali, Borivali, Dahisar, Mira Road, and Bhayandar. Infrastructure elements like interchanges, flyovers, and twin tunnels have been planned to accommodate the area’s complex traffic flows. The entire project is divided between two authorities: the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is handling the Bandra to Versova section, while the BMC is overseeing the Versova to Bhayandar portion, estimated at ₹22,000 crore.
Although initial Stage I clearance has been obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for mangrove land diversion, full-scale work remains on hold pending a final decision from the Bombay High Court. The project will impact 8.24 hectares of mangrove forest, comprising more than 9,000 trees. As a compensatory measure, BMC has committed to planting around 1.37 lakh new mangroves.
According to civic officials, the completion of this extension is expected to cut commute time between Versova and Bhayandar from the current 90–120 minutes to just 15–20 minutes. Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar recently conducted site visits across various points such as Andheri, Versova, Lokhandwala, and Malad, and instructed teams to strictly avoid working within CRZ boundaries until all necessary approvals are in place.
With groundwork now initiated, the BMC is focused on acquiring remaining land parcels, securing administrative approvals, and navigating the legal permissions required to begin full-fledged construction. The rest of the corridor will open for development once the High Court delivers its final verdict and Stage II clearance is granted by MoEFCC.
