Increasing connectivity to boost residential prospects of Bandra-Kurla Complex

Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) owes a large share of its success to the connectivity factor, which has improved significantly, since the start of the project in 1977 by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) when the entire complex was a marshy piece of land. With connectivity being of paramount importance in Mumbai, roads, metro, Hyperloop and a bullet train station are being provisioned in or around BKC, to make access to this commercial hub easy and further improve its attraction.

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Mumbai-Pune Hyperloop, Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train to have stations at BKC

BKC is likely to have a Hyperloop connectivity, through the proposed Mumbai to Pune Hyperloop project. The Hyperloop is slated to commence from Pune and will join BKC through the proposed Navi Mumbai Airport close to Panvel. The Hyperloop is expected to cut travel time between Mumbai and Pune down to 25 minutes. The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has drafted a pre-feasibility report, in which BKC is slated to get a Hyperloop station. The Hyperloop connectivity will be in addition to bullet train connectivity that BKC is likely to have, through the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project. The bullet train terminus at BKC will sport six platforms, which will be placed at the lowest floor of the three-floor terminus.

Connectivity via road to BKC

The MMRDA is now looking at constructing an elevated link road through BKC from Vakola at the end of the Western Express Highway to Kapadia Nagar, which is close to BKC. The entire route will be divided into two parts. One of the routes will connect to the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR). The other route will connect the flyover till Chunabhatti. These two routes will bring down travel time to BKC from suburban Mumbai by half an hour. This elevated road will help people to avoid congestion at Dharavi and Sion. The link road will be two kilometers long.

The MMRDA is also working on the construction of two roads on Mumbai University land, to improve the connectivity of BKC. Plans are afoot to acquire about 35,000 sq metres of land that belongs to Mumbai University’s Kalina campus and this land will be used for two road projects – a four-lane elevated road from the Bharat Diamond Bourse junction in BKC to the Vakola junction and another 400-metre-long road that will provide additional connectivity between BKC and the SCLR.

Bandra-Kurla Complex residential property market

BKC is also emerging as a premium destination for residential real estate development. A number of developers are lining up residential projects, which will rely heavily on improvement in connectivity. The MMRDA has plans to make BKC a smart city, as well. This means BKC will get Wi-Fi connectivity everywhere, world class infrastructure, hybrid/electric buses, etc. The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), the government transporter, has already started electric, air-conditioned bus services from BKC to the nearby railway stations of Sion and Bandra. The AC buses will also run from Bandra bus station and Kurla station.

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