‘If Metro is built along coastal road, then its 2nd line & water transport plan may be shelved’.

The proposed water transport project between Nariman Point and Borivli and the city's second Metro line may not be needed if a new mass rapid transit system is planned along the coastal road.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is mulling over the addition of a Metro corridor to the proposed 36-km-long coastal corridor along the west coast (from Bandra to Kandivli).

'Fadnavis is keen on the project as a 'Metro on the ground', except for three underground stretches at Juhu, Bandra and Malabar Hill, will be cheaper than the proposed second Metro line, which will be completely underground,' said a senior official.

The second Metro line's cost has been pegged at more than Rs. 24,000 crore.

'If a Metro is planned along the coastal road between Nariman Point and Borivli, then we may have a rethink (about water transport and second Metro line). An integrated study to understand pros and cons has been commissioned. However, such a change may not affect the third Metro corridor between Colaba and SEEPZ,' said a Mantralaya source. The government is keen on building a Metro network along the coastal road to discourage Mumbaikars from travelling in private vehicles and reduce congestion and pollution. The existing coastal road plan has incorporated the bus rapid transit system to facilitate easier commute.

TOI