BMC allocates ₹8,973-cr for big-ticket infra projects

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, in its budget for 2022-2023, has allocated ₹8,973 crore for the ongoing big-ticket infrastructure projects, keeping a large chunk for Coastal Road, Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR), and has also proposed the construction of three new flyovers in western suburbs and central Mumbai. The civic body has also planned to demolish, reconstruct, and repair 212 bridges across the city. In the budget, out of the total size of ₹45,949 crore, ₹22,646 crore has been set aside as capital expenditure, which means reserved for several infrastructure projects and recurring expenses. Of this, over 36% or ₹8,973 crore has been reserved for roads, traffic operations, bridges, and Coastal Road projects followed by GMLR. This is higher than the allocation of ₹6,519 crore last year for the same works. However, the civic body has not announced any new project, and the emphasis is on completing the under-construction ones. A total of ₹3,200 crore has been earmarked for the 10-km-long Coastal Road between Princess Street Flyover and Worli. The BMC aims to complete 90% of the work by the end of 2022-23 as currently, 50% is completed. Further, the BMC has allocated ₹1,300 crore for GMLR that will be constructed in four phases. Under the road works, in 2022-23, 219 km of roads are proposed to be improved or repaired in concrete and cement roads followed by 12 km in asphalt. The bridges department has been granted ₹2,897 crore for this purpose. The BMC has also proposed three new bridges: a flyover from Juhu to Versova Road at JVPD junction, a flyover at Mith Chowky junction at Link Road in Malad, and an elevated road from fisherman colony, known as Senapati Bapat Marg, to the Western Express Highway in Bandra.