BMC Close to Finalising Road Contract for Suburbs

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is on the cusp of finalising approvals for Phase 2 of its road concretisation initiative, covering both eastern and western suburbs. According to civic officials, the finalisation of contracts is imminent, with contractors who previously quoted between 4% and 9% above the estimated rates now agreeing to the BMC’s budgeted figures. 

Mumbai’s road network spans approximately 2,050 km, with 1,200 km currently undergoing concretisation. The remaining 1,000 km is planned for completion in two phases. Phase 1, which involves 397 km of roads, was allocated last year, but as of June 10, only 30% of the work has been completed. The remaining projects are expected to see accelerated progress once the monsoon season concludes. The tendering for Phase 2, covering an additional 400 km, faced delays due to the model code of conduct imposed for the Lok Sabha elections, which concluded on June 5.

A senior civic official confirmed that contractors for the eastern and western suburbs have agreed to proceed at the estimated rates after initially bidding above these figures. The final approval of these contracts is pending, following which work will commence. Conversely, negotiations for the island city’s roads, where a contractor’s initial bid exceeded the estimate by over 9%, are still ongoing. The contractor has since reduced their quote to 4%, but a final decision has yet to be made.

The BMC had previously cancelled a INR 1,600 crore contract with Roadway Solutions India Infrastructure Ltd (RSIIL) due to delays. New tenders have raised concerns over the potential selection of a company previously blacklisted in 2016 for substandard work. To expedite the project post-monsoon, the BMC has devised a plan targeting completion between October 2024 and May 2025. To ensure high standards, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) has been engaged for rigorous quality control.