Changing City: Ulwe Coastal Road, key infra project in Navi Mumbai, readying for launch next year

The highway runs through developing areas such as Seawoods, Ulwe, Bamandongri, and Targhar, which are poised to witness aggressive growth once the Navi Mumbai airport becomes operational.

Key features

The Ulwe Coastal Road is being planned with both capacity and environmental considerations. The highway will have three lanes on either side, with unhindered vehicular movement. A 1.2-kilometre elevated section will pass over sensitive mangrove areas, and a special railway overbridge will enable people to skip bottlenecks at tracks on the Nerul-Uran route.

Cidco’s proposal provides for smooth integration with the MTHL, giving Mumbai commuters easy access to NMIA and other nodes in Navi Mumbai.

Benefits for people of MMR

For people of Navi Mumbai, the UCR offers the much-needed connectivity to Mumbai through the MTHL, reducing travel time and decongesting roads such as Palm Beach Road and Sion-Panvel Highway. For those who would be using the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport, it provides seamless airport connectivity, crucial for economic and logistical efficiency.

Urban planners anticipate the highway to boost business and residential development in Ulwe and other nodes, with better last-mile connectivity inviting investment and dissolving traffic congestion at older nodes such as Vashi and Belapur.

The significance of the road is enhanced by the two projects it will link — the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link or the Atal Setu will connect directly to UCR at Shivaji Nagar, while at the other end, the UCR offers a special route to NMIA’s terminal area. (Express Photo by Narendra Vaskar)

Budget and Timeline

Estimated at Rs 1,400 crore, the Ulwe Coastal Road is one of Cidco’s showcase projects in sync with NMIA’s phased commissioning. Tenders were issued in late 2024, and construction has begun since then. The deadline for the project is set for early 2026, coinciding with the airport’s planned commissioning. The estimate involves structural components, environmental mitigation works, and road safety facilities, consistent with the challenging terrain and environmental sensitivity of the road.

Key Links: NMIA and MTHL

The significance of the road is enhanced by the two projects it will link — the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link or the Atal Setu will connect directly to UCR at Shivaji Nagar, while at the other end, the UCR offers a special route to NMIA’s terminal area.

This three-way connection — MTHL, UCR, NMIA — has been termed “transformational” by officials for Thane and Panvel commuters, minimising reliance on highways in the two cities and scattering airport traffic more evenly throughout the MMR.

Environmental Concerns

The alignment of the road was picked to minimise ecological disruption. The elevated section going through coastal and mangrove-dominated areas in particular ensures that construction does not have direct impact on sensitive ecosystems. Cidco has also pledged compensatory afforestation and carried out environmental appraisal as part of statutory clearances.

While environmental groups raise concerns about long-term effects on Ulwe’s natural shoreline, authorities have stated that engineering interventions such as building on stilts and creating buffer zones will help preserve biodiversity while supporting urban development.

Administration Speaks

“The Ulwe Coastal Road is a crucial project among the various initiatives undertaken by Cidco to provide seamless connectivity to the Navi Mumbai International Airport. This six-lane road will play a vital role in connecting the Atal Setu and the Navi Mumbai International Airport. Starting from Amra Marg, the road will be linked to the interchange at Atal Setu. This road will be instrumental in the commercial success of the Navi Mumbai International Airport,” said Priya Ratambe, Public Relations Officer, Cidco.