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Journalism of Courage
As Mumbai steps into 2025, the city is on the brink of a major infrastructure transformation. A fully functional underground metro, India’s largest greenfield expressway, which aims to revolutionise road connectivity, and the resurfacing of over 50 per cent of the city’s roads are a few ambitious projects set for completion. Mumbai will also see the inauguration of its second airport after 82 years.
A look at the infrastructure projects that would reshape Mumbai’s travel landscape in the new year.
Travellers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) will finally have access to a second airport with the inauguration of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) on April 17, 2025. With domestic flights set to commence in May and international services expected by July, NMIA will ease the pressure on the already overburdened Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
In its first phase, NMIA will handle 20 million passengers annually, with future expansion plans that will raise capacity to 50 million by 2029. The new airport is expected to improve air travel options and provide much-needed relief to residents of MMR.
Mumbai’s first underground metro will be fully operational in 2025. The 33.5-km Metro 3 line, which connects Colaba to SEEPZ via Bandra, looks to revolutionise public transport in the city. While some sections opened in 2024, the entire line is set to be completed by the end of 2025, easing the pressure on Mumbai’s overcrowded local trains and providing a faster, air-conditioned alternative. The metro’s completion will drastically cut down travel times and boost overall connectivity across key areas of the city.
India’s largest greenfield road project spanning 701 km, Samruddhi Mahamarg, will be fully operational by mid-2025, connecting Mumbai and Nagpur via a smooth, high-speed highway. The final phase, covering 76 km from Igatpuri to Thane, is currently under construction. Once complete, the highway will bypass the challenging Kasara Ghat section, making the Mumbai-Nagpur journey possible in just 8 hours—down from the current 12-hour travel time. The highway’s completion promises to bring significant benefits to business and logistics along this crucial route.
Mumbai is set to become a major hub for international cruise tourism with the opening of the Ballard Pier Extension (BPX) cruise terminal in 2025. Once completed, BPX will handle up to 500 cruises annually, handling approximately 1 million passengers. This state-of-the-art terminal will elevate Mumbai’s profile as a key destination for global cruise liners, boosting the city’s tourism sector and further integrating it into the global travel circuit.
Travel between Mumbai and Pune will become faster starting June 2025 with the completion of the Missing Link project. A critical segment of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, this new stretch will reduce the distance between Khopoli and Sinhagad Institute by 6 km, cutting travel time by approximately 25 minutes. This project, which includes tunnels and cable bridges, will offer a smoother, quicker route and improve connectivity between the two cities.
The Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) Extension is expected to be operational by early 2025. This 4.2-km stretch will connect Kurla to the Western Express Highway at Vakola Junction, easing traffic flow through BKC and Vakola. Once open, the extension will significantly reduce congestion in some of Mumbai’s busiest areas.
A major infrastructure development in the eastern suburbs, the Airoli-Katai Naka Tunnel Road is part of a 33.8-km, six-lane road that connects Airoli to the Kalyan-Shilphata corridor. Slated for completion in 2025, this project will reduce travel time between Airoli and Shilphata.
Part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP-3), the Panvel-Karjat Rail Corridor will significantly reduce travel time between Karjat and South Mumbai. Set to be completed by December 2025, the 29.6-kilometer corridor will cut down the journey time from 2.5 hours to just 1.5 hours, and enhance access to business hubs like Airoli and Vashi.
Mumbaikars will soon benefit from three new vehicular bridges: the Carnac Bridge, Vikhroli ROB, and Bellasis Bridge, aimed at easing congestion in some of the city’s most crowded areas. These bridges will improve connectivity in the island city and the eastern suburbs. The Carnac and Vikhroli Bridges are expected to open by May 31, 2025, while the Bellasis Bridge is scheduled for completion by October 2025.
Beginning in August 2025, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will commence the boring of twin tunnels for the ambitious Goregaon-Mulund Link Road project. This Rs 6,548 crore initiative will connect the Western Express Highway to Mulund, significantly reducing travel time from up to 90 minutes to just 25 minutes. The 12-km project is expected to be completed by 2028, marking a major milestone in easing traffic congestion between the western and eastern suburbs.
In 2022, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced a project to concretise 397 km of Mumbai’s roads at a cost of ₹6,300 crore to eliminate potholes. However, progress has been slow, with work beginning in February 2024, a year after orders were issued. By monsoon, only 9 per cent of the work was completed. Civic officials are now focused on an aggressive timeline, aiming to complete 70 per cent of the project by the end of 2025. With an eight-month window excluding the monsoon, the target is to finish 1 km of road daily.
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