Rs 702-crore underground walkway to link Mumbai Metro-3, Worli Promenade, and coastal road garden

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations BMC Standing Committee has approved a proposal to construct an underground pedestrian route connecting the Nehru Science Centre Metro station on Metro Line3 with the Worli Promenade and the proposed landscape garden along the coastal roadThe BMC will bear the estimated cost of Rs 70244 crore for the underground pedestrian route while the construction will be carried out by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation MMRC Standing Committee Chairman Prabhakar Shinde saidThe approximately 1kmlong and 75metrewide underground route is aimed at providing easy access to the proposed landscape garden spread across around 300 acres along the Swarajya Rakshak Dharmaveer Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road project as well as the Worli Promenade for residents and touristsUnderground link to improve access to Worli PromenadeShinde said the coastal road has emerged as a landmark project for Mumbai and a large landscape garden has been proposed across around 300 acres along the projectA reserved promenade along the coastal road will also be available to citizens along with the garden However while the area can currently be accessed relatively easily by fourwheelers there is no adequate connectivity for the general public to reach it easily by public transport or on foot he saidThe proposed underground pedestrian route is intended to address this gapAfter getting off at the Nehru Science Centre Metro station commuters will be able to walk through the Mahalaxmi Racecourse area and under Lala Lajpatrai Road to reach the Worli Promenade and landscape garden directlyThe route which will be around 1 km long and 75 metres wide will enable a large number of people to travel safely and conveniently Shinde saidWith the use of the metro increasing steadily in Mumbai it has become an affordable and convenient mode of public transport for citizens he saidThrough Metro 3 citizens will be able to reach Nehru Science Centre and then directly access the promenade and landscape garden through this underground pedestrian route Shinde statedThe facility is expected to reduce dependence on private vehicles and encourage the use of public transport and pedestrian infrastructureTourism in Mumbai expected to get boostShinde said the underground route would also provide a major boost to tourism in the coastal road areaOnce the landscape garden is completed Mumbai residents as well as tourists from across India and abroad will be able to reach the area at a minimal cost using the metro he statedThis route will therefore become an important link from the perspective of Mumbais tourism infrastructure Shinde saidHe further stated that the MMRC had expressed its willingness in June 2025 to undertake the construction of the underground tunnelFollowing a joint meeting held in December 2025 the municipal commissioner approved the construction through the MMRC while it was decided that the BMC would bear the financial burden for the projectShinde said the expansion of the metro network was helping reduce traffic pressure and congestion on Mumbais roads thereby easing the burden on the civic bodys road transport infrastructureThe BMC had earlier provided around Rs 2500 crore for the Metro 3 project he statedBMC to fund pedestrian routeShinde said the civic body had now agreed to take financial responsibility for constructing the underground pedestrian route in the interest of citizensBoth the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation are public sector organisations What is wrong if one organisation gets work done in the interest of citizens through another organisation he statedHe said the decision was taken to use metro 3s technical capabilities to execute the project more effectively instead of awarding the work to a contractorSome people are unable to digest this proposal It appears that those accustomed to the malida in contractual works are finding it difficult to accept it Shinde statedHe added that the BJP considered the interests of Mumbaikars its top priority and that the proposal had been approved by a majority to provide citizens with modern safe and accessible pedestrian infrastructureThe underground pedestrian route will effectively connect the metro coastal road promenade and proposed landscape garden Shinde saidHe added that the route would eventually become an important link for safe convenient and affordable public transport for Mumbaikars