The coastal road’s first phase will start at Marine Lines and end at Bandra. File pic

A sum of Rs 1,000 crore was on Wednesday earmarked for the ambitious coastal road project in the BMC budget whose size was cut by nearly Rs 12,000 crore to Rs
25,141 crore for the next fiscal. The budget outlay of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for 2017-18 was Rs 25,141 crore, significantly down from Rs 37,052 crore last year.

This was the first budget of the BMC after its new general body was elected in February. The February 21 election saw the Shiv Sena emerging as the single largest party and retaining its control on the country's richest civic body. This was municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta's second BMC budget after he took charge in April 2015. The budget allocated Rs 1,000 crore for the coastal road to be built along Mumbai's western sea front. The proposed 35.6 km arterial road will connect Nariman Point in South Mumbai to the city's western suburb of Kandivli, easing vehicular movement.

The allocation for the roads department, which was mired in allegations of irregularities in awarding contracts, stood at Rs 1,095 crore, far less compared to Rs 2,886 crore
last year. The BMC earmarked Rs 12,874 crore for the capital expenditure that will fund infrastructure projects like roads, storm water drains and water supply.