Maharashtra Announced Underground Road Expansion In Mumbai And Pune As Fourth Mumbai Takes Shape Near Vadhavan

Maharashtra's government announced an ambitious expansion of underground road networks in Mumbai and Pune, alongside plans for a Fourth Mumbai near the Vadhavan port in Palghar district.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, presenting the state budget on Friday, outlined a massive infrastructure drive aimed at addressing rapid urbanisation across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The government revealed plans to develop underground tunnel projects for both Mumbai and Pune to tackle rising traffic congestion and reduce travel times.

The initiative forms part of a broader vision to build 1,200 kilometres of metro rail network and more than 6,000 kilometres of expressways by 2047, transforming Maharashtra into what officials describe as a seamless multimodal hub.

The Fourth Mumbai, planned near Vadhavan port in Palghar, represents a significant urban expansion strategy.

The Vadhavan port project, which received Cabinet approval in June 2024, is being constructed at a cost of Rs 76,220 crore and is expected to become one of the world's top ten ports, with the capacity to handle 23.2 million TEUs of containers annually.

The development is projected to create more than 12 lakh jobs in the region.

Fadnavis projected that 70 per cent of Maharashtra's population will live in urban areas by 2047, contributing nearly 80 per cent of the state's gross domestic product.

To manage this transformation, the government plans to establish more than ten regional development authorities and develop over 50 well-planned urban clusters.

The budget also proposes full digitisation of urban local government services to support sustainable development.

In Mumbai, the underground infrastructure push includes a fully underground Metro Line 11 from Wadala to Gateway of India, estimated to cost Rs 23,487 crore.

The state also outlined plans for a six-kilometre underground tunnel and a nine-kilometre elevated road in Mira-Bhayander, alongside an integrated underground road project connecting the Bandra-Worli Sea Link to the bullet train station at Bandra Kurla Complex and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

The infrastructure expansion aims to significantly improve connectivity whilst preparing Maharashtra for its projected transformation into a Rs 5 trillion economy by 2047.

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