Centre sanctions ₹770 crore to revamp Kalamboli junction on Sion-Panvel Highway

The Centre has approved ₹770.49 crore to upgrade Kalamboli Circle's infrastructure ahead of Maharashtra elections, easing congestion and pollution

Navi Mumbai: Days before the model code of conduct for the Maharashtra assembly elections is enforced, the Centre has sanctioned ₹770.49 crore to upgrade infrastructure at the perennially congested Kalamboli Circle, a crucial junction on the Sion-Panvel highway for traffic heading towards the Mumbai-Pune expressway, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and the upcoming Navi Mumbai international airport.

Heavy traffic on Sion – Panvel Highway in Navi Mumbai. (BACHCHAN KUMAR/HT PHOTO)

Kalamboli Circle in Panvel is a five-arm traffic junction at the intersection of the Mumbai-Pune expressway, the Sion-Panvel Highway, National Highway 48 and National Highway 548. The area witnesses heavy traffic jams throughout the day, with vehicles converging from all directions, including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Dombivli, Pune, Goa, Panvel, and Uran. The presence of heavy container vehicles travelling to and from JNPA makes it worse. While time, fuel and money are wasted, it also leads to severe pollution issues in the region.

At an event in Panvel last year, union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari, had called the junction a nightmare and assured that its infrastructure would be upgraded at a cost of ₹1,200 crore. With weeks to go before the Maharashtra assembly elections, Gadkari has finally followed through, with his ministry sanctioning ₹770.49 crore for the infrastructure project.

“The critical infrastructure project spans 15.53 km. The upgraded Kalamboli Junction will ensure seamless connectivity to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust from the major highways,” he said.

“A two-level interchange, incorporating a directional/stack system, will facilitate signal-free traffic flow. This design will eliminate cross-conflict at grade, significantly reducing queuing delays for traffic from all routes,” he added.

Welcoming the decision, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Panvel MLA, Prashant Thakur, who had been following up on the project with Gadkari, said, “The improvement project will bring much relief to motorists in the area by reducing the traffic congestion and curbing pollution. Both commuters and freight traffic will benefit, thereby improving transport efficiency in the region.”

Stating that the project is crucial as there will be an addition of around 200,000 vehicles due to the upcoming Delhi-Mumbai highway and the Navi Mumbai airport, Thakur said, “The current situation is already bad and, in the absence of the new infrastructure, it would simply have been unmanageable. The new project envisages a state-of-the-art junction with four level roads. While a consultant has been appointed, the tenders are set to be called soon.”