News Brief
Piyush Goyal Confirms Mumbai Coastal Road Extension To Virar, Says All Approvals In Place For Swift Execution
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal (Pic Via Twitter)
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced on Sunday (2 November) that the long-awaited expansion of Mumbai’s Coastal Road project, stretching eventually to Virar in Palghar district is now ready to proceed, with “all major hurdles” cleared.
The Coastal Road currently links Marine Drive in south Mumbai to Worli, where it connects seamlessly to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
Once completed, the journey from Nariman Point to Virar is expected to take just 35 to 40 minutes, a remarkable reduction in travel time.
Clearances related to land acquisition, transfer of saltpan lands, and permissions from the Coastal Regulation Zone, Environment Ministry and Forest Department have all been secured, as per PTI report.
“With these permissions in place, the project will now move ahead rapidly,” he said after chairing a high-level review meeting in Mumbai.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, and several state departments.
Goyal, who represents the North Mumbai parliamentary constituency, said he had been monitoring the project closely with both state and central agencies to ensure steady progress.
During the review, Goyal also noted that work on the Madh-Versova Bridge has been fast-tracked, while the Borivali-Thane tunnel will commence within two months.
He urged officials to tackle traffic congestion on the Western Express Highway, improve sanitation and water supply in Gorai and Charkop, and enforce stricter action against illegal dumping and encroachments.
