NAVI MUMBAI: Air travellers heading to the Navi Mumbai International Airport could soon reach the terminal just 10 minutes after getting off the Atal Setu, with CIDCO finalising the engineering design for a six-ramp, signal-free interchange at Shivaji Nagar in Gavhan village that will plug the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link directly into the Ulwe Coastal Road.
The current travel time after getting off the Atal Setu to reach the airport is 30–40 minutes. Once the interchange project is completed, travellers from South Mumbai heading to the Navi Mumbai airport, can expect to reach the terminal in under 40 minutes.
Officials have set August 2026 as the completion target for the interchange.
Signal-free cloverleaf
The Shivaji Nagar junction will be rebuilt as a high-speed cloverleaf interchange, featuring three-lane ramps, loops and slip roads that allow traffic to move in all directions without stopping at signals. CIDCO vice-chairman and managing director Vijay Singhal said the six ramps are configured to segregate traffic flows immediately on arrival in Navi Mumbai.
Dedicated loops will allow vehicles from the Atal Setu to bypass Ulwe traffic and head straight to the airport, while separate connectors will handle movements between Mumbai and JNPT Port, ensuring heavy logistics vehicles do not interfere with passenger traffic. Additional links will cater to motorists approaching from the Circle end.
Beyond airport connectivity, the project is expected to ease congestion for residents of Uran and Panvel by diverting through-traffic onto the elevated coastal corridor, reducing pressure on the internal roads of Gavhan and Shivaji Nagar.
The ramps form the centrepiece of the 7-km Ulwe Coastal Road, a strategic link connecting the JNPT industrial belt, Ulwe node and the developing Dronagiri coastal zone. The project also includes a railway overbridge across the Nerul–Uran line.
Engineering and approvals
The work, being executed by J Kumar Infraprojects Ltd, follows directions from the Bombay High Court to protect 3,728 mangroves, with a commitment to three-times compensatory plantation. To minimise environmental impact, the entire corridor is being built on stilts using pile-bent piers—a redesign that has pushed the cost from about ₹700 crore to nearly ₹1,591 crore.
While the main coastal road is around 70% complete and the engineering blueprint for the ramps is ready, the ramp construction is awaiting final regulatory clearance. The proposal was discussed by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority in late December last year after being submitted by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, the owner of the Atal Setu interchange. Approval is pending, with the authority seeking detailed data on the ramps’ footprint on mangroves.
Despite the remaining procedural steps, officials eye for an August 2026 completion target for the interchange.