Western Freeway (Mumbai)

The 8-lane, 29.2-km long Coastal Road would run along Mumbai's western coastline connecting Marine Lines to Kandivali.

The section was sub-divided into the following: On 16 April 2013, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told the state Assembly that the Nariman Point–Haji Ali sea link was "impractical".

This includes twin carriageway of 3.315 km termed as main line and connectors at Worli and Haji Ali.

[7] The Versova-Bandra Sea Link received environmental clearance, under certain conditions, from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in January 2013.

BMC officials stated that the government had not clarified the future of the coastal road project, after approving the VBSL.

[14] In its report, submitted in January 2012, the Joint Technical Committee advised the government to build a 35.6 km coastal freeway from Manora MLA Hostel at Nariman Point to Kandivali.

Construction of the coastal freeway would require a relaxation of the CRZ norms, as certain sections are proposed on reclaimed land.

The 29.2-km freeway is proposed to run along Mumbai's western coastline connecting Marine Lines in the south to Kandivli in the north.

In the first phase of the project, the road will connect Princess Street and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, and is expected be completed by 2019.

[19] In 2011, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan asked the MSRDC to think of building coastal roads instead of capital intensive sea links.

He appointed a Joint Technical Committee, comprising experts and officials, in 2012 under the then Municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar to study the plan to build a coastal road.

In its report, submitted in January 2012, the committee advised the government to build a 35.6 km coastal freeway from Manora MLA Hostel at Nariman Point to Kandivali to ease traffic congestion.

The project was estimated to cost ₹ 10,000 crore and would have consisted of roads built on reclaimed land as well as stilts, bridges and tunnels.

The committee was against building any more sea links and pointed out that the coastal road would help save ₹ 120 billion of public money.

This stretch was proposed to be built on reclaimed portions up to Haji Ali, and then to Lala Lajpatrai Road in Worli.

[21] Critics of the freeway opposed it due to the reclamation required and have also cited possible environmental degradation along the coast.

Construction of the coastal freeway would require a relaxation of the CRZ norms, as certain sections are proposed on reclaimed land.

After discussing the project on 10 April 2013, the Maharashtra coastal zone management authority (MCZMA), the state's apex environment body, urged the centre to amend the CRZ notification to permit "reclamation for roads".