Uttan–Virar Sea Link to be extended to Vadhavan Port
MUMBAI : The Maharashtra government on Monday approved the extension of the proposed Uttan–Virar Sea Link up to Vadhavan Port in Palghar district, giving a major boost to coastal connectivity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Infrastructure Committee chaired by Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis at Mantralaya.
Fadnavis said the total length of the project will be 55.12 km, including a 24.35 km main sea bridge and approach roads of 9.32 km from Uttan, 2.5 km from Vasai and 18.95 km from Virar. The extension till Vadhavan Port, he added, will strengthen north–south connectivity and ease traffic pressure on the Western Express Highway, S.V. Road and Link Road, which have long been operating beyond capacity.
“The Uttan-Virar Sea Link will complete a critical stretch of Mumbai’s coastal corridor. Along with the Coastal Road, Bandra-Worli Sea Link and Atal Setu, it will ensure smoother travel from Nariman Point to the northern suburbs,” Fadnavis said after the meeting.
Work is also progressing on the Versova-Bandra Sea Link, the Orange Gate Tunnel, the Shivdi–Worli elevated road, the North Coastal Route and sections of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway. A Virar-Alibaug multi-modal corridor has also been proposed to further integrate the coastal network.
The meeting, attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Public Works Minister Shivendraraje Bhosale, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif, Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar and senior officials, also cleared key projects for Nashik and Pune.
In Nashik, preparations for the next Kumbh Mela received a boost with approval for both inner and outer ring roads around the city. The 66-km inner ring road and adjoining stretches are expected to be completed between March and June 2027. The roads will distribute traffic from the seven major routes entering Nashik, easing congestion during the pilgrimage. Funding and land acquisition will be handled by the Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority.
For Pune, the committee reviewed the city’s expanding metro network and connectivity to the proposed Purandar Airport. Fadnavis directed that all ongoing metro projects be completed within three years and that the trains be upgraded to six coaches.
The PCMC–Nigdi elevated line (4.4 km) is expected to be ready by January 2027, while the Swargate–Katraj underground line is targeted for March 2029. The Vanaz–Chandni Chowk and Ramwadi–Wagholi/Vitthalwadi corridors are planned for completion by July 2029. Work on Metro Line 3 linking Kharadi, Hadapsar, Swargate and Khadakwasla will be expedited, with immediate land acquisition.
Two new corridor — from Hadapsar to Loni Kalbhor and from Hadapsar Depot to Saswad — will be developed through a tunnel connecting directly to Purandar Airport, providing both road and metro access.
The Chief Minister also asked authorities to plan multi-level parking and better integration between metro stations and road networks.
Fadnavis said the approvals underline the state’s long-term vision for infrastructure. “Mumbai, Nashik and Pune are growing rapidly. These projects will make travel faster, reduce congestion and strengthen economic activity across Maharashtra,” he said.