The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed constructing an underground pedestrian vestibule to link the Mahalaxmi Racecourse or the Science Centre Metro station area on Line three with the Coastal Road Worli promenade. The about four-kilometre link is intended to provide a safe and convenient connection for Metro commuters and pedestrians travelling towards the promenade. The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) is to implement the scheme under Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) provisions of DCPR 2034 at an estimated cost of about Rs seven point zero two bn. The civic administration plans to enter a memorandum of understanding with MMRCL and release funds as work progresses, and it has proposed relaxing public tender rules under Section 92 of the amended Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888 following a decision by the Urban Development Department. The agreement will be subject to standing committee approval, where the proposal is to be tabled, and the BMC has indicated the expenditure is proposed to be recovered through TOD premium. Approval is also being sought for financial liability that may arise beyond the current financial year. Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi questioned making the BMC the primary funding agency and highlighted existing fiscal pressures. The party noted BMC allocations of Rs 80 bn for various payments in the current financial year and a pipeline of major infrastructure projects estimated at about Rs 2,450 bn, and warned that cost escalations across those projects could create an additional burden of at least Rs 250 bn. It has sought clarity on the expected TOD premium, the recovery timeline and who would bear any shortfall. Architects associated with the Mumbai Architects Collective cautioned that the walkway could exacerbate congestion and that commercial amenities planned beneath the Racecourse may draw more traffic to the adjacent Haji Ali Road. They argued that increased visitor numbers could crowd the Coastal Road promenade and therefore undermine the stated aim of facilitating faster movement between distant parts of the city. The proposal will be reviewed by the civic standing committee.