Following the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has aggressively resumed its ambitious city-wide road concretisation drive. The civic body has restarted work on a staggering 645 roads spanning 297.49 kilometres across the metropolis, with a significant focus on the western suburbs.
Project Scope and Monsoon Halt
Launched in 2022, the mega infrastructure project, valued at Rs 17,000 crore, aims to concretise a total of 700 km of roads in Mumbai to improve durability and reduce maintenance. All construction activity was necessarily halted during the monsoon months from June to September. When work was paused, 574 roads covering over 167 km were partially completed, while work on another 205 km of roads was yet to begin.
Officials stated that work on the 297 km stretch officially recommenced on October 1. A senior BMC official said, "We have started work on over 600 roads. We are planning to complete nearly 80 per cent of the ongoing road works by January. Once these roads are complete, we will progressively initiate work on the new roads."
Geographical Distribution of Ongoing Work
Data reveals that over 60 per cent of the total work restarted post-monsoon is concentrated in the western suburbs. The breakdown of the resumed 297.49 km work is as follows:
- Western Suburbs: 192 km of road length.
- Eastern Suburbs: Nearly 63 km, with major work in Kurla, Chandivali, Deonar, and Chembur.
- Island City: Approximately 41 km.
Within the western suburbs, Zone IV, which includes densely populated areas like Malad, Goregaon, Dahisar, and Kandivali, has the highest concentration with 95 km of roads under construction.
Phased Targets and Progress So Far
The BMC has set clear deadlines for this colossal project. The immediate goal is to complete concretisation on 80 per cent of the roads where work has newly resumed by January 2026. Looking at the broader phases, officials aim to finish 95 per cent of the work in Phase I by May 2026, and 85 per cent in Phase II by the same deadline.
Prior to the monsoon halt in June, the civic body reported substantial progress. In the first phase, it had already achieved 63 per cent of the target, with 101.67 km of roads fully concretised and 101.68 km partially done. In the second phase, 36 per cent of the target had been met.
The resumption of work on such a large scale signals a significant push by the BMC to enhance Mumbai's road infrastructure, aiming for more permanent solutions compared to traditional asphalt surfaces, especially ahead of future monsoon seasons.
