Changing City: Tunneling ends on Kharghar-Turbhe Link Road, Navi Mumbai now set for quicker travel

In today’s episode of Changing City, The Indian Express brings you fresh developments on the Kharghar-Turbhe Link Road (KTLR), being constructed for better connectivity in Navi Mumbai. The tunnelling phase on the 5.9 km project has ended, bringing it one step closer to becoming a reality. On June 29 and August 31, blasting and digging […]

3 min readSep 18, 2026 12:30 PM IST

The tunnels were dug using the NATM method. (Express photo)

In today’s episode of Changing City, The Indian Express brings you fresh developments on the Kharghar-Turbhe Link Road (KTLR), being constructed for better connectivity in Navi Mumbai. The tunnelling phase on the 5.9 km project has ended, bringing it one step closer to becoming a reality.

On June 29 and August 31, blasting and digging at both ends of the twin tunnels reached a breakthrough when they met in the middle, marking an end to the tunneling work. While much of the project is still underway, including elevated viaducts and road sections, the milestone brings Navi Mumbai closer to faster travel.

The tunnels were dug using the NATM method, blasting and digging through the rock because of their massive 18 m width.

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How it will help

The Kharghar-Turbhe Link Road, originating at the Juinagar railway station and diverging from the Sion Panvel Highway, runs straight through Navi Mumbai and Kharghar before reaching Central Park junction.

The tunnels were dug using the NATM method, blasting and digging through the rock because of their massive 18 m width. (Express photo)

The journey between the two points is 16 km long, running along the Sion Panvel Highway, Nerul and CBD Belapur, and then Kharghar, due to the vast mass of hills in between.

The Link Road, with its twin tunnels, cuts through it all to offer a quicker alternative, reducing a minimum 40-minute journey to just 10 minutes.

Officials said this would also reduce traffic on the Sion-Panvel Highway.

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Kharghar-Turbhe Link Road

Begins: Opposite Juinagar Railway Station on the Sion–Panvel Highway

Ends: Gurudwara Chowk/Central Park junction, Kharghar, near ACTREC

Length: 5.957 km

Twin tunnel lengths: 1.76 km

Breakthrough:

Tunnel 1 on June 29

Tunnel 2 on August 31

Tunneling done through: New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM)

Lanes: 4 + 4

Cost: Rs 2,099 crore

Construction began: 2024

Deadline: December 2028

What’s left:

Contractor: Rithwik Projects Pvt. Ltd

Executing agency: CIDCO

“Achieving the breakthroughs of T1 on 29th June 2026 and T2 on 31st August 2026 marks a significant milestone in the Kharghar–Turbhe Tunnel Project. With both tunnels now successfully broken through, we have crossed a major engineering milestone and moved a step closer to delivering a safe, efficient and seamless connectivity link for Navi Mumbai. This achievement reflects the collective commitment, technical expertise and perseverance of everyone involved in the project. We are confident that the project will further strengthen connectivity and contribute significantly to the growth and development of Navi Mumbai,” said Ashwin Mudgal, VC and MD of CIDCO.

Sabah Virani

Sabah Virani is a journalist with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau, covering infrastructure, housing and urban issues. In the realms of technical fields, she brings out human stories and the pace of change ongoing in the city. Expertise Specialised Role: Tracking infrastructure in Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Sabah’s reporting tracks progress on various projects. From bridges to metros, she mixes technical details with resourceful information. Core coverage areas: Sabah keeps a close eye on the activities of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and its projects across the MMR, including the metros, road projects, bridges, the bullet train, pod taxi, its role as a planning authority, and more. She also watches for developments from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) and the GoM’s Urban Development department. Housing: Sabah also tracks developments in housing, particularly the workings of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA). She also keeps a keen watch on the big redevelopment projects ongoing in Mumbai, including the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, Motilal Nagar, Kamathipura, BDD Chawl redevelopment, among others. Occasionally, she reports on the environment, biodiversity, waste, arts and culture. Experience: Prior to working for the Indian Express, Sabah covered the municipality, civic issues and miscellaneous for Hindustan Times. Before that, she covered all things Mumbai for the online publication Citizen Matters. She has also worked as an editorial assistant at FiftyTwo.in. ... Read More

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