The City Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), responsible for urban planning in Navi Mumbai, has announced plans to build a coastal road connecting Amra Marg to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT). This initiative aims to establish seamless connectivity with the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, which is expected to become operational by December 2024.

Kailash Shinde, Joint Managing Director of CIDCO, indicated that the construction of this crucial highway project is expected to span a period of at least 24 months. The proposed coastal highway will extend over a distance of seven kilometers and connect the Mumbai Trans Harbor Link (MTHL) to the upcoming airport. The project is estimated to cost over Rs 7,700 crore.

Approval for the coastal highway project was granted by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) at its meeting on August 10, 2023. The minutes of the meeting were made public last week. It is worth noting that the implementation of this project will necessitate the removal of 3,728 mangroves and 196 trees.

In August 2019, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority granted Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) approval for the project. CIDCO subsequently approached the Mumbai High Court seeking approval for the necessary mangrove clearance, marking an important step in the development of this critical infrastructure project aimed at improving transport connectivity in the region.