Mumbai: BMC approves underground pedestrian link to Worli promenade

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s standing committee has approved a proposal for an underground pedestrian pathway connecting the Nehru Science Centre Metro station on Metro Line 3 with the Worli promenade.

The approximately one-kilometre-long and 7.5-metre-wide passage will be built by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL), while the civic body will bear the estimated cost of Rs 702.44 crore.

The pathway will be equipped with a travelator and will run from the Nehru Science Centre Metro station through the Mahalaxmi Racecourse area. It will pass under Lala Lajpatrai Road before connecting to the Worli promenade and the proposed landscape garden.

The proposal was approved by a majority vote at the BMC Standing Committee meeting, paving the way for the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) to commence construction work, standing committee chairman Prabhakar Shinde told reporters.

The proposed 3.5-4-kilometer link, to be built at a cost of ₹702.44 crore, will provide a direct connection from the Nehru Science Centre Metro station till the Worli promenade and landscaped garden, passing beneath the Mahalaxmi racecourse area and Lala Lajpatrai Road.

Shinde said the Coastal Road and the proposed landscaped garden at Worli were expected to become major tourist attractions, but access to the area by public transport and on foot remained inadequate.

The underground passage, he said, would address this gap by providing a safe and convenient route for pedestrians arriving by metro.

With metro ridership increasing steadily, the facility is expected to encourage greater use of public transport and reduce dependence on private vehicles.

According to Shinde, the MMRC had expressed its willingness to undertake construction of the underground passage in June 2025.

At a joint meeting in December 2025, the municipal commissioner approved the execution of the project by the MMRC, with the BMC agreeing to bear the cost.

Shinde said the decision to entrust the work to the MMRC was aimed at leveraging its technical expertise in executing underground infrastructure.

Both the BMC and the MMRC were public-sector entities and having one public agency undertake work for another would ensure that existing technical capabilities were utilised for the benefit of citizens.