Civic body plans to improve infra, traffic congestion and urban mobility

Indias richest municipal corporation Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC presented the budget for the upcoming financial year 202526 The budget was presented at the BMC headquarters in south Mumbai on Tuesday February 4The Mumbai civic body plans to upgrade the citys infrastructure improve traffic decongestion and enhance urban mobility in MumbaiBMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani presented the BMC budget of Rs 74427 crore for the financial year 202526BMC Budget 2025 was presented by Gagrani the stateappointed administrator of the civic body was around 1419 per cent more than the budget estimate of Rs 6518079 crore for the year 202425The budget is the third consecutive one presented to an administrator as Mumbai continues to function under administrator rule since the term of its corporators ended on March 7 2022Sectors like infrastructure environment roads etc had high expectations from the BMC Budget 2025Among the prominent Mumbai projects the Nariman Point to Worli Coastal Road has been allocated Rs 151631 croreThe budget also mentioned about the completion of major projects in the city and deadlines for the ongoing and upcoming projects by the civic bodyKey announcements include the followingEnhanced Road NetworkApproximately 1333 km roads concretised till nowPhaseI Jan 2023 698 roads 324 km 187 completed 2637 rest in progressPhaseII Dec 2024 1420 roads 377 km 720 works started in Dec 20247537 work of PhaseI and 5037 work of PhaseII is proposed to be completed before June 2025Special projects of construction and improvement of various roads in Greater Mumbai are undertakenExpert Guidance is being taken from IIT BombayTraffic Measures for DecongestionBhumipoojan of Access Control Project for improvement of one junction on EEH and three junctions on WEHParking App to be set up for booking vehicle slots in advance along with online paymentImplementation of Area Traffic Control ATC System in Greater Mumbai is in progressMultilevel Robotic Car ParkingWork orders have been issued for 194 capacity multilevel Car parking near Apsara Pen Shop Flora Fountain Hutatma Chowk in A Ward Also tender process for 640 Four Wheelers and 112 Two Wheeler space at Worli Engineering Hub in GS ward and contractor has been appointed In future the parking space available will be for Urban Mobility The budget provision for the proposed work is Rs 200 croreWalkabilitylsquoUniversal Footpath Policyrsquo is already formulated and proposed to be implemented in Greater MumbaiFocusing on creating more liveable pedestrian friendly and differentially abled friendly footpathsBudget Estimate 202526 for Roads and Traffic Department is Rs 5100 crore the budget document statesDharmaveer Swarajyarakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Mumbai Coastal Road South ProjectOperational Routes Currently south bound carriageway from Bandra Worli SeaLink to Princess Street Flyover and north bound carriageway from Netaji Subhashchandra Bose Marg Marine Drive to Bandra Worli SeaLinkhave been operational since 27012025 between 7 am to 12 midnight for all daysProject Progress 945037 work completed till date and balance work scheduled for completion by May 2025Impact This project has proven to be a game changer decongesting the current routes and significantly reducing travel time fuel cost and pollutionThe budget document states that the Budget Estimate 202526 for Mumbai Coastal Road South Project is Rs 150724 croreMumbai Coastal Road North Project and GMLR ConnectorAligned from Versova Interchange to Dahisar Interchange of Coastal Road along with an elevated connector to thestart point of GMLR in Goregaon EastFeatures Indiarsquos biggest tunnels with 142 m diaRoad capacity About 78000 PCUs Versova to Malad and 62000 PCUs Malad to Dahisar per dayWill connect southern tip and western suburbs of Mumbai with Mulund and ThaneTravel time from Versova to Dahisar to reduce by 30 to 40 minutes and Carbon emission is expected to lower by 48 37 ie from 22500 KMT to 11500 KMTBudget Estimate 202526 for Mumbai Coastal Road North Project and Coastal Road Last Leg Rs 4300 crore the budget mentionedElevated Road from Dahisar W to Bhayandar W Coastal Road Last LegFor faster commute through a signalfree route to connect Mumbai and Bhayandar CityRoad capacity About 75000 PCUs per dayGoregaonMulund Link Road GMLRPhase3 inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on 13th July 202413m dia underground Twin Tunnel through Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Aarey saving huge capital coston part of land acquisition without adversely affecting environmentEntire Project is planned to be completed by the year 2028Current travel time reduced from 90 minutes to 25 minutesA key factor in improving EastWest connectivity in the Suburbs of Mumbai as well as in ThaneThe Budget Estimates 202526 for GMLR Project is Rs 195873 croreUrban MobilityBMC is striving to complete the construction of ROBs at Vikhroli Bridge Nahur Bridge Phase1 Gokhale Bridge and Carnac Bridge before monsoon and open the same for traffic Also the contract period for the work of Belasis Bridge is till April 2026 But BMC intends to complete the same before stipulated timeline and open it for traffic by the end of 2025Projects in ProgressDemolition amp Reconstruction of Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bridge at AndheriPUP connecting Nehru Science Center to Nehru Planetarium and bridge over Nalla adjacent to Nehru Science CenterConstruction of 2 ROBs on Dr E Moses Road and Keshavrao Khadey Marg near Mahalaxmi Railway StationExtension of Cable Stayed ROB on East side of Mahalaxmi Station up to S Bridge junction and diversion of one arm of underconstruction ROB on the western sideDemolition and reconstruction of access roads to the Belasis Bridge ROB between Mumbai Central and Grant Road RailwayStationFlyover from JuhuVersova Road to CD Barfiwala Road at JVPD Junction in AndheriNew Bridge PhaseII over Oshiwara Nalla on SV RoadExtension of Mrunaltai Gore Flyover across Ram Mandir Road to Relief Road in PSouth wardVital Projects of BMCA request has been made to the State Government to declare BMCrsquos Prestigious Projects such as Mumbai CoastalRoad South Project GMLR Mumbai Coastal Road North Project Versova to Dahisar Elevated Road fromLink Road to Dahisar W to MiraBhayander W Coastal Road Last Leg as Vital Urban Transport Projectsunder section 124B 21A of Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act 1966