Coastal Road bottleneck triggers South Mumbai’s ‘Unlock the Exit’ drive | Mumbai News
For Malabar Hill resident Mehul N. Shah, the daily commute home has an ironic twist — after a swift drive on Coastal Road, nearly 40% of his total travel time is spent crawling through a 300-metre stretch after exiting at Breach Candy. Shah, who is also vice president of Bharat Diamond Bourse in BKC, is among a growing number of south Mumbai residents demanding an additional exit at Nepeansea Road (NSR) on the northbound arm of Coastal Road — a demand that has evolved into a citizen-led campaign called Unlock the Exit.The movement argues that a critical exit proposed in earlier planning stages was dropped in the final detailed project report (DPR) of 2016, leading to severe congestion today. While Coastal Road has reduced travel time from Bandra to south Mumbai — with the stretch from the Bandra-Worli Sea Link toll to Amarsons Interchange taking eight to ten minutes — the final 300 metres to Mukesh Chowk can take 20-25 minutes during peak hours.
Residents say a technically feasible solution exists, involving direct access via a plot under Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), without affecting ongoing garden and promenade plans. The proposal includes both a vehicular exit and a pedestrian walkway and has been discussed with stakeholders.Mahesh Malkani, a resident of Bomanji Petit Road, says that without a dedicated NSR exit, vehicles are forced to exit at Amarsons Garden. “This has created a massive bottleneck where 300-metre stretches can take 25 to 45 minutes to navigate during peak hours. Traffic diversion through Bomanji Petit Road, already burdened by school traffic and illegal valet parking, has worsened the situation.”Echoing this, Nandini Chabria, speaking on behalf of Breach Candy ALM and Breach Candy Residents Forum (BCRF), said the issue extends beyond one neighbourhood. “The bottleneck is affecting the entire Breach Candy-Kemps Corner-NSR-Malabar Hill corridor,” she said, adding that feasibility discussions have taken place with Coastal Road officials. Residents also noted that local MLA MP Lodha had written to the BMC chief in April 2025 requesting evaluation of the NSR exit.Documents reviewed by TOI show that earlier frameworks — including the Development Plan of 1991 and a 2011 joint technical committee (JTC) report — had recommended an NSR exit. However, it was omitted in the 2016 DPR without any publicly stated reason. Shah recalls opposition at the time: “Back then as well, I knew that this was a crucial exit and hence never agreed to those who said there shouldn’t be an exit at NSR.”Residents further argue that DPR recommendations to expand nearby roads remain unimplemented and impractical due to dense development. They have also called the traffic projections “flawed”, alleging they underestimated demand. The campaign, they stress, is a data-driven effort combining research and community mobilisation.The group has reviewed thousands of pages of planning documents, launched social media outreach under @UnlockTheExit, and initiated petitions with over 5,000 signatures. Housing societies across the area have begun endorsing the proposal, including Godrej Baug on Nepeansea Road, which has 495 flats.Civic officials have previously suggested that opposition from some residents led to the exclusion of the NSR exit — a claim the group disputes. With congestion worsening, residents insist the issue is now urgent. “Coastal Road was meant to ease traffic, not shift the bottleneck,” said Shah. “Without an NSR exit, that promise remains only half fulfilled.”Chief engineer of the Coastal Road project, Mantaya Swami, confirmed awareness of the demand. “BMC issued a letter in Dec 2025 to the PWD, requesting to handover of a 10.5 m-wide land strip from MSRDC… But no response has been received to date,” he said.On March 26, the NSR Citizens Forum wrote to BMC reiterating its earlier July 30, 2025 representation, stating residents have not been consulted and demanding formal inclusion in decision-making.
