Second phase of coastal road to be opened by June 10: CM Shinde

Shinde also inspected a leakage at the southbound tunnel at Marine Drive end, which is a part of the first phase of the coastal road inaugurated in March. Talking to reporters after the inspection, the chief minister said there were leakages in two to three expansion joints of the coastal road, and they will be plugged using polymer grouting.

Shinde said he has also suggested polymer grouting on all 25 joints on each side of the tunnel to avoid water seepage even during monsoon. The repair work will not impact the vehicular movement on the coastal road, and motorists won't be inconvenienced, he said.

The chief minister said the second phase of the coastal road from Marine Drive to Worli will be thrown open to traffic by June 10. Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray said the coastal road would have been completed and opened to citizens by December 2023 if the MVA had been in power.

"However, after the corrupt regime toppled our regime, they slowed down the work and worked on cost escalation," Thackeray said in a post on 'X'. He further claimed that the first phase was inaugurated in haste to get credit for the project before the elections and said the MVA would probe the delay when it forms the government.

The work on the ambitious coastal road project started on October 13, 2018, and its projected cost is Rs 12,721 crore.