MIDC fast-tracks ₹205-crore Turbhe, Airoli truck terminals to ease Thane-Belapur congestion

Spread over 2,333.27 hectares, the Thane-Belapur MIDC estate is among the largest industrial belts in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and houses more than 6,000 small, medium and large industrial units across sectors such as chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering, cold storage and information technology

NAVI MUMBAI: In a major logistics and traffic-relief push for Navi Mumbai’s industrial corridor, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has fast-tracked the operationalisation of two truck terminals at Turbhe and Airoli to tackle chronic congestion caused by heavy vehicles parked across the Thane-Belapur belt.

Navi Mumbai, India - April 22, 2026:MIDC fast-tracks terminals at Airoli, Turbhe to unclog Thane-Belapur corridor at Turbhe in Navi Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The two projects, with a combined approved outlay of ₹205 crore, were expedited after industrial associations raised the issue with the state government, prompting directions from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde to address worsening traffic disruption and the long-standing lack of organised truck parking infrastructure.

Spread over 2,333.27 hectares, the Thane-Belapur MIDC estate is among the largest industrial belts in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and houses more than 6,000 small, medium and large industrial units across sectors such as chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering, cold storage and information technology.

With daily freight movement linked to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), Mumbai, Pune and other industrial centres, the estate sees a steady inflow of trailers, container trucks and goods carriers. In the absence of designated holding areas, vehicles routinely halt on internal roads, service lanes and arterial stretches, narrowing carriageways and triggering frequent peak-hour snarls.

“The work on both truck terminals is in the final stage and they will soon become operational,” MIDC chief executive officer P Velarasu said.

The ₹95-crore Turbhe terminal, located inside MIDC’s D Block, is ready. Positioned behind the Turbhe-Sanpada commercial belt and accessible via General Arun Kumar Vaidya Marg, it is intended to absorb trucks that currently queue between Kopar Khairane, Sanpada and Turbhe while waiting for warehouse entry slots. Officials said local traffic authorities have sought its early opening, with the toll or entry-fee structure among the last pending formalities.

The facility is also expected to reduce pressure on surrounding internal MIDC roads, where double-parking by heavy vehicles often cuts usable road width and slows traffic movement for workers, factory staff and local commuters.

The ₹110-crore Airoli terminal at Ilthanpada, near the Digha-Airoli border, is located off Thane-Belapur Road near Digha railway station and the Airoli Knowledge Park region. It is expected to serve as an interception point for trucks entering from the Mulund-Airoli Bridge, Thane, Kalwa and northern access corridors before they move deeper into the industrial belt.

Officials believe the Airoli facility will significantly reduce truck spillover on roads serving Airoli, Rabale, Mahape and adjoining TTC industrial nodes, where freight traffic frequently mixes with office-hour commuter movement.

Officials said the projects were accelerated after high-level meetings with industrial bodies, including the Thane-Belapur Industrial Association, as part of broader efforts to improve logistics efficiency and ease of doing business in the region.

The terminals also gain importance amid rising freight demand linked to warehousing growth, expanding port cargo movement and operations at Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). Authorities are examining long-term integration of organised truck parking with airport-bound cargo flows so that heavy vehicles do not park haphazardly on city roads.

Once both terminals open, traffic authorities are expected to intensify enforcement against roadside truck parking across MIDC sectors, including stricter no-parking action on key industrial stretches.