Mumbai Coastal Road Tunnel: 38 Breakdowns, 2 Crashes in 3 Months
Mumbai: Mumbai’s Coastal Road tunnel has seen 38 vehicle breakdowns and two accidents from February to April 2025, sparking concerns about safety and design flaws. The 3.4-km twin tunnel, linking Marine Drive to Breach Candy, narrows from four lanes to two, creating bottlenecks during breakdowns that disrupt traffic. With the remaining three arms of the Coastal Road set to open soon and 24/7 operations expected by July, authorities face mounting pressure to address these issues.
Data from the BMC’s Coastal Road department shows 90% of the breakdowns involved taxis, with two car accidents and one unusual case of a pedestrian in the tunnel. High-speed car racing has also contributed to accidents, prompting calls for speed cameras, which the BMC is yet to install.
Activist Zoru Bhathena criticized the tunnel’s design, suggesting planners underestimated frequent breakdowns. “They didn’t plan for such disruptions,” he said. Fellow activist Debi Goenka slammed the BMC for building a 2.5+2.5-lane tunnel instead of a 4+4-lane one, calling it a poorly designed project. He also accused the BMC and traffic police of failing to maintain the road or manage traffic effectively.
The BMC, however, insists its emergency response is swift. Chief Engineer MM Swami told The Free Press Journal that a control room at the PDP junction monitors the tunnel via CCTV, deploying towing vans within 10 minutes to clear breakdowns. Emergency call boxes are placed every 100 meters, though some residents say they’re hard to reach.
Traffic Department DCP Pradnya Jedge noted that vehicles, excluding buses, often misuse the bus lane at high speeds. She has urged the BMC to install CCTV and speed cameras every 300 meters to curb violations and boost safety.
Local activist N Lakhani suggested adding signboards with contact details for the breakdown van in-charge to improve accessibility. He also called for stricter fines for drivers using the bus lane to overtake, a common cause of accidents.
Bhathena questioned the high breakdown rate, noting that car breakdowns are uncommon elsewhere in Mumbai. “Why are cars breaking down so often in the tunnel? This needs investigation,” he said.