Cidco pushes ahead with two coastal roads to boost NMIA access

Cidco expects the corridor to support key upcoming developments, including the International Corporate Park, the Kharghar Valley Golf Course and the FIFA-standard Centre of Excellence. The project complements the Ulwe Coastal Road, which will connect NMIA directly to the Atal Setu.

Navi Mumbai: After Mumbai, the satellite city of Navi Mumbai is set to get its own coastal roads. The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (Cidco) is pushing ahead with the Kharghar–CBD Belapur Coastal Road and the Ulwe Coastal Road, both designed to provide seamless connectivity to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) and decongest the region’s busiest corridors, officials said.

The Ulwe Coastal Road will provide seamless connectivity from Atal Setu to NMIA. (HT Archives) (Hindustan Times)

Kharghar–CBD Belapur Coastal Road

Estimated to cost ₹1,020.7 crore, the Kharghar-CBD Belapur Coastal Road is expected to halve travel time between the two suburbs from the current 30-40 minutes during peak hours. The corridor will be 30 metres wide and 9.678 km long, out of which 6.96km will be newly developed, and existing roads will be used for the rest.

The alignment of the road begins at Jalmarg in Sector 16, Kharghar, passes Kharghar railway station and ends near DPS Nerul, with a link to Palm Beach Road. An interchange over the Sion–Panvel Expressway will provide seamless access to NMIA and significantly ease pressure on Navi Mumbai’s busiest arterial road, officials said.

The project has received all the necessary clearances from the state forest department and the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA), Cidco officials said. The construction is expected to start in early 2026 and is targeted for completion by the end of 2028.

“This is not just an airport connector,” said Cidco vice chairman and managing director Vijay Singhal. “It is a backbone project that will integrate multiple growth nodes — from the corporate park to housing clusters — while easing pressure on the Sion–Panvel Highway.”

Cidco expects the corridor to support key upcoming developments, including the International Corporate Park, the Kharghar Valley Golf Course and the FIFA-standard Centre of Excellence. The project complements the Ulwe Coastal Road, which will connect NMIA directly to the Atal Setu.

Initially, the Kharghar-CBD Belapur Coastal Road was proposed to pass along the Panvel creek. As it passed through the green belt around Belapur mangrove forest next to Panvel creek, the alignment was altered to divert the coastal road to be an inland road into certain sectors in Belapur. However, the revised alignment was opposed by residents of Belapur sectors 11 and 15, who argue that the route now cuts through jogging tracks, green zones, and residential belts. Residents have raised concerns about traffic bottlenecks near NRI DPS School and the potential loss of tree cover that has been nurtured over decades.

Singhal, however, stated that the green belt will be preserved, and traffic management plans will be implemented. Cidco will undertake compensatory afforestation to offset the impact on 8.22 hectares of mangroves, he added.

Ulwe Coastal Road

Meanwhile, work on the six-lane, seven-kilometre-long Ulwe Coastal Road has reached the 60% mark. Cidco aims to finish the project by the end of 2026, in sync with NMIA’s operational timeline.

Developed at a cost of ₹1,600 crore, the project includes a 5.8km coastal section and a 903-metre elevated Airport Link Road (ALR), providing direct and traffic signal-free access from the Atal Setu to NMIA. A large portion of the road is being built on stilts to protect mangroves, said an official.

The corridor will bypass Amra Marg and NH-348, reducing travel time from south Mumbai to NMIA by up to 25 minutes, officials said. It will also strengthen connectivity to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and the Navi Mumbai Special Economic Zone, boosting regional logistics and business access.

“The Ulwe Coastal Road will enhance Navi Mumbai’s transport network and accelerate national economic growth,” said Singhal.