₹6,363 Crore Thane–Navi Mumbai Airport Elevated Road Approved, ₹365 Toll Rates Stir Debate

The Maharashtra Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has approved the construction of a 25-km elevated road connecting Thane to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). The project, valued at ₹6,363 crore, will be developed by CIDCO under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Designed as a six-lane corridor with six interchanges, the elevated road will allow speeds of up to 100 km/hr, cutting travel time between Thane and NMIA from nearly 90 minutes to just 30 minutes. The move is expected to significantly ease traffic congestion on the Eastern Express Highway and Thane-Belapur Road while boosting economic growth by improving accessibility to NMIA, poised to become one of India's largest aviation hubs.

The Cabinet has also cleared land acquisition for commercial use along the route and permitted CIDCO to utilize government land beneath the corridor at nominal rates. Authorities describe the project as a major urban infrastructure initiative to serve commuters from Thane, Kalyan, Dombivli, Ambernath-Badlapur, and Bhayandar, who currently face long travel times to Mumbai's overburdened airport.

However, commuters will face steep toll charges. A one-way trip is expected to cost ₹365, higher than the ₹250 toll on the Atal Setu sea bridge in Mumbai, according to reports by NDTV Marathi. Officials also confirmed that toll rates will rise annually.

The NMIA, slated to open soon, is projected to handle 2 million passengers annually in its initial years, with traffic expected to grow to 9 million passengers by 2038 once the airport reaches full operational capacity.