The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) aims to ensure connectivity to the under-construction Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) and other areas. To attain its goal, CIDCO is set to start work on two road projects - Ulwe Coastal Road (UCR) and Kharghar Coastal Road (KCR).
For constructing the six-lane Ulwe Coastal Road, the company got a permit to cut 3728 mangroves from the Bombay High Court (HC).
Vice Chairman and Managing Director of CIDCO, Anil Diggikar, opined that UCR is quite an important project as it will be connecting the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) to the NMIA via an elevated link road. Hence, he said, it is very important for the commercial success of the airport.
The 5.8-kilometre route will begin at Amra Marg and terminate at Shivaji Nagar, Ulwe's MTHL intersection. Officials who are aware of the project details said it will also feature a 1.2-kilometre elevated link road, a railway overbridge over Amra Marg, and the Nerul-Uran suburban railway line, both of which will connect to the airport.
On August 10 last year, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) gave its approval for the project. The Environment Impact Assessment Authority of the state, too, has given the CRZ (coastal regulation zone) clearance for this project.
Explaining the permission-taking process Diggikar said they recently received the environment and forest clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for Ulwe Coastal Road. After this, they applied to the high court and sought permission to move the mangroves. To ensure the least amount of disturbance to the mangrove region, the road is being constructed on stilts. The mangrove cell will be consulted before the replanting is completed.
He further added that they have submitted an application to the forest department for working permission. The project should shortly begin to be worked on.
Due to a change in the design, the project is likely to cost approximately INR 1,400 crore, double the initial estimate of INR 700 crore. They will require 24 months to complete it. Two years ago, the CIDCO selected a J. Kumar-JMM consortium to undertake the first phase of the project on territory devoid of mangroves. It is anticipated that a tender for the stilt work on the mangrove area will be announced soon.
At the same time, the Kharghar node in Sector 16 and Sector 11 in the CBD Belapur node would be connected via the Khargar Coastal Road. The MCZMA has already approved the project. They are currently waiting for clearance from the MoEFCC, after which the CIDCO will petition the high court for authorization.
The International Corporate Park (ICP), which is being built along the lines of Bandra Kurla Complex and the passenger water terminal at Nerul, is one of the most critical traffic links between the NMIA and the other areas of Navi Mumbai, said Diggikar.
A grade-separated junction across the Sion-Panvel highway would connect the urban arterial road to the PMAY housing at Kharghar, the golf course, the FIFA standard centre of excellence, and other developments at high speed, he stated.
The road will have an expanse of 9.6 km and a width of 30 metres. Despite the project's original INR 300 crore cost estimate, it is anticipated to be adjusted because of planned design alterations and other variables.
The link, of which 6.96 km is to be newly developed, is planned to decongest the Sion-Panvel highway, stated the MD of CIDCO.
Both are unobstructed green field projects that the CIDCO hopes to finish by early 2026.
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