Coastal road to have parking facilities

Mumbai: The proposed Mumbai coastal road will have three underground parking lots with a total capacity of 1625 vehicles as well as the biggest promenade in the city. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to create various civic amenities on the reclamation area made available for the project.

According to civic officials, 22 per cent of the available reclamation area will be used for the construction of coastal road, while on remaining 78 percent area various civic amenities will be developed. These amenities include landscaping, butterfly garden, promenade, toilets, jogging track, cycle track, amphitheatre, gardens and playgrounds for kids, police chowkies, bus stops, underground pavements for crossing of roads etc.

Mohan Machiwal, chief engineer, Mumbai r project, said, “Reclamation area of 96,87,510 sq ft will be available for the project. Of this, 22 percent of the area (21,52,780 sq ft) will be used for the project, whereas civic amenities will be developed on 78 percent of the area (75,34,730 sq ft).”

The coastal road project area has several religious sites and tourist places in the surrounding. Hence, the BMC has decided to construct three underground parking lots in the vicinity. One parking lot will be constructed near the Haji Ali Durgah and Mahalaxmi Mandir, whereas second will be built near the Amarsons Garden. The Worli Dairy and Worli Seaface area, which witnesses large number of educational tours, will have third parking lot. All the parking lots will be underground and it has been proposed to construct recreational or playgrounds on their roofs.

As per the instruction by the union ministry of environment and forests, the BMC has decided to develop a butterfly garden on the available reclamation area, for which an initial provision of Rs 10 crore will be made.

On the lines of Marine Drive and Worli Seaface, the BMC has decided to develop a promenade along the coastal road, biggest in the city.