Connecting South Mumbai to Vadhavan Port: Maharashtra clears Rs 58,754 cr Uttan-Virar Sea Link DPR

Planned as the Mumbai–Vadhavan Expressway Corridor (MVEC), the coastal route is designed to act as a parallel high-speed spine to the Western Express Highway and the western suburban roads.

MMRDA officials said the corridor is expected to ease congestion across the region and sharply reduce travel time between the island city and the northern suburbs. It will also offer a direct link for vehicles from Gujarat and Delhi—via the under-construction Mumbai–Delhi Expressway—to reach South Mumbai through Vadhavan without entering the western suburbs.

“The government of Maharashtra has cleared the Uttan–Virar Sea Link and its extension to Vadhavan Port, unlocking a 120-km, fully access-controlled coastal expressway that will connect South Mumbai to Vasai, Virar, Palghar and India’s upcoming largest deep-sea port.

The MVEC will not only bring Mumbai closer to its far suburbs, but also serve as a new gateway to India’s growth, integrating major expressways, coastal roads and future national corridors into one seamless, high-speed network for people, freight and industry,” the MMRDA official said.

The core of the project is a 24.35-km sea bridge between Uttan and Virar, which will be the country’s longest sea link. The total project length under the DPR is 55.12 km, including connectors at Uttan (9.32 km), Vasai (2.5 km) and Virar (18.95 km).

The officials said the corridor with over 30 km connectors will have six lanes, emergency shoulders, navigational spans and an Intelligent Transport System for traffic monitoring and incident response.

“Once completed, MVEC will ease congestion on WEH, SV Road and Link Road, cut travel time across the region and create thousands of jobs. It will also unlock land along the Uttan–Bhayandar, Vasai and Virar belt, opening new avenues of growth for local communities. With the proposal now recommended to the Union government, MMR’s next era of connectivity and coastal development has truly begun,” the officials added.

To fund the project, the state has allowed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to raise Rs 44,332 crore from foreign financial institutions, with Japan’s JICA being explored as the main lender. The state’s share will be Rs 11,116 crore, covering taxes, land acquisition and rehabilitation, while MMRDA will contribute Rs 3,306 crore. The proposal for foreign borrowing will now be sent to the Union Department of Economic Affairs.

Officials said the corridor is expected to open up large stretches along the Uttan–Bhayandar, Vasai and Virar belt, where better connectivity could boost housing, tourism and port-related industries once Vadhavan Port is operational. Construction of the link and its connectors is also expected to generate several thousand jobs.

“With the DPR approved, the project will move to the tendering stage once the Centre clears the foreign funding plan,” said officials further describing the sea link as one of the most significant road projects planned for the region after the Bandra–Worli Sea Link and the Mumbai Coastal Road.