Mumbai is preparing for one of its largest post-monsoon infrastructure pushes, as the civic body gets ready to roll out 776 new cement-concrete roads across the city. Nearly half of these projects will be concentrated in South Mumbai, signalling major improvements but also a likely surge in traffic congestion during the festive season.
According to officials, the immediate priority will be the completion of 574 partially constructed roads, which had earlier faced delays due to stalled contracts and prolonged monsoon interruptions. A dashboard recently introduced by the civic administration to track progress indicates that 771 out of 2,121 planned CC roads have already been delivered, but the next phase is expected to be more disruptive given the scale and geographical concentration. In South Mumbai alone, 360 roads are earmarked for redevelopment. Among these are arterial stretches such as Cooperage Road, Geeta Nagar approach road, Capt Prakash Pethe Road in Cuffe Parade, Marine Lines First Cross Lane, VN Road linking Kilachand Chowk to Hutatma Chowk, and Free Press Journal Marg. These are high-traffic corridors, and civic engineers acknowledge that commuters will face bottlenecks until works are completed.
The current round of concreting comes after setbacks in 2024, when a ₹1,687-crore contract was scrapped following a contractor’s failure to begin work almost a year after award. The administration has since tightened monitoring mechanisms, with senior officials emphasising that transparent deadlines will ensure accountability. They also stressed that while target dates create pressure, they provide commuters with greater clarity on timelines. Officials added that each suburban zone will also see about 200 new roadworks starting simultaneously. With multiple work sites opening at once, traffic management is expected to be a critical challenge. Civic engineers are coordinating with traffic police to prepare diversions, but transport planners warn that South Mumbai’s narrow stretches may not be able to absorb the detours effectively.
The city-wide concretisation drive was inaugurated in January 2023 and is scheduled for completion by May 2027. While progress is said to be on track, sustainability concerns are beginning to shape the conversation. Urban experts point out that road concretisation reduces pothole repairs and ensures longer durability, but equally caution that construction dust, debris disposal, and loss of permeability could affect urban ecology. Authorities are being urged to align construction with green standards, including dust suppression, efficient debris recycling, and noise management, to ensure the works contribute towards building a climate-resilient Mumbai. With festivals approaching, Mumbaikars may face traffic snarls, but officials argue that the long-term benefits of sturdier, pothole-free roads will outweigh the short-term inconvenience. The real challenge will lie in balancing execution speed with sustainable practices and ensuring that commuters are kept informed throughout the disruption.
Also Read : Indore To Mumbai Tejas Express Services Extended Till 30 September By Western Railway
