The Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has granted Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for the construction of the Coastal Road from Kharghar to Belapur. This decision paves the way for direct access to the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).
The Kharghar Coastal Road (KCR) project, undertaken by CIDCO, spans 9.679 km, of which 2.986 km is an existing road. The proposed road will be a combination of stilt construction and ground-level reclamation.
With the MoEF&CC clearance, CIDCO will now seek permission from the high court to proceed with the project.
“This will be a major connectivity link between NMIA, the Nerul water terminal, and Kharghar, including the International Corporate Park being developed along the lines of the Bandra Kurla Complex,” said a CIDCO official.
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The KCR will connect Kharghar’s Sector 16 to Sector 11 in the CBD Belapur node and extend further to the Nerul water passenger terminal.
“Apart from providing direct connectivity to the airport, it will also help decongest traffic on the Sion-Panvel Highway. The proposed alignment starts from Jalmarg in Kharghar, crosses the Sion-Panvel Expressway with an interchange, and continues between Sector 10, Kharghar, and Sector 11, Belapur, utilizing existing 30-meter-wide roads in CBD Belapur. It further crosses Amra Marg (National Highway 348A) via a vehicular underpass, follows a grade road along the creek, and connects to the elevated road at the Water Transport Terminal in Nerul, ultimately joining Palm Beach Marg near Delhi Public School (DPS),” the official explained.
Meanwhile, work on the 5.8 km-long Ulwe Coastal Road (UCR) has already commenced. This elevated link road will provide direct connectivity between NMIA and Atal Setu. “Vehicles coming from Mumbai can use Atal Setu to reach NMIA via the Ulwe Coastal Road,” the official added.