Mumbai: Marine Drive promenade opened to public

The BMC officially opened the 1.07-km-long stretch on Tuesday

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has restored the promenade along Marine Drive, which had been closed to carry out work on the Coastal Road. Part of the 3.6-km-long iconic promenade was closed to pedestrians for the last 4 years. The civic body completed the work of the Coastal Road along the stretch and opened it for the public on June 10.

"On Tuesday, BMC officially opened part of the 1.07-km-long promenade for the public from G D Somani Chowk to the women's hostel," a BMC official said, adding that the work for adequate lighting is ongoing. Additionally, the work of placing tetrapods - used by the BMC to reduce the impact of sea waves - is in the final stages.

Also, the BMC had widened a road between Princes Street flyover to Mafatlal Junction by 10.56 metres. Approximately, 1 km of this wider road is available to motorists, providing easy access to the northbound tunnel of the Coastal Road, officials added.

The Marine Drive stretch, officially known as the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road, was constructed in 1935. Streetlights along the road are famously from the ‘Queen's Necklace' due to how they appear from an aerial view. The promenade is popular among regular walkers and tourists, but it had to be shut to carry out work of the Costal Road project.