After three months of sustained campaigning by South Mumbai residents, the ‘Unlock the Exit’ campaign secured its first significant breakthrough: the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has indicated a willingness to consider the long-pending demand for a coastal road exit at Nepean Sea Road.
In a meeting held last week between MSRDC and the BMC, the state agency responded positively to the proposal for the first time according to senior civic officials privy to the matter. Earlier requests, they said, had been either rejected or stonewalled but MSRDC now appeared to be ready for a discussion on relinquishing a 10.5-metre-wide strip of land owned by it on Nepean Sea Road, from where the exit has been requested by residents and a pedestrian access to the coastal road promenade has also been requested.
.“Since this is a prime plot, we need to evaluate the monetisation potential. We will study the proposal and submit a report in the next 10 days,” an MSRDC official said.
The proposal had previously hit multiple roadblocks. In January 2025, the BMC wrote to MSRDC, seeking access to the land but MSRDC declined, stating that it was reserved for other purposes. Subsequent efforts had also failed.
