Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, announced a series of major infrastructure initiatives in the state’s Budget 2026–27, including a new metro line to the Gateway of India and a network of underground tunnels in Mumbai and Pune aimed at improving urban mobility.
During his budget address in the state assembly, Fadnavis said the government intends to develop 1,200 km of metro rail corridors and over 6,000 km of expressways by 2047, to create a continuous transport network for both passenger and freight movement across the state.
The government has already initiated work on a 490 km metro network across Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, of which 173 km is currently operational. Another 50 km of metro routes are expected to open within the next year, while 165 km of additional lines are targeted for completion by 2029, he said.
A major highlight of the announcement is Metro Line 11, which will run from Wadala to the Gateway of India. The project, estimated at Rs 23,487 crore, will be a fully underground corridor. The government also plans to extend the line from Dharavi to Bandra suburban railway station and the Bandra terminus.
Fadnavis also said that Navi Mumbai Metro Line 2, connecting Taloja and Khandeshwar, will be developed at a cost of Rs 5,575 crore to strengthen the transport network in the satellite city.
The government has completed the launching shaft for the underground tunnel linking Orange Gate, the Eastern Freeway and Marine Drive, with the entire project expected to be completed by December 2028.
Work on the first phase of the Goregaon–Mulund underground tunnel, which will connect Mumbai’s eastern and western suburbs, is in its final stages. Meanwhile, the Thane–Borivali underground tunnel is scheduled for completion by June 2028.
Under the integrated underground road plan, the Bandra–Worli Sea Link will be connected to the bullet train station at the Bandra Kurla Complex, which will also provide access to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
Additional projects include a 6 km underground tunnel and 9 km elevated road in Mira-Bhayander, as well as an elevated road connecting the Atal Setu to the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, scheduled for completion by February 2027 for Rs 1,102 crore.
Work is also underway on the Sewree–Worli elevated corridor, which aims to enable signal-free travel between Atal Setu, the Coastal Road and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link by September 2026.
The state government has also approved an elevated road from Thane to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, while a greenfield expressway from Kalyan to Latur is currently in the alignment planning stage.
Source: ET Realty
