The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has begun the land acquisition process for a proposed 13-km highway connecting Morbe and Kalamboli in Maharashtra, with the new route planned to improve access to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA).
According to NHAI officials cited by Loksatta, the authority aims to complete around 90% of the required land acquisition by December-end and invite construction tenders in January 2027. Work could begin later in 2027, with completion targeted for 2030, subject to progress on land acquisition and the tendering process.
125 Hectares Required for Project
The proposed highway will require approximately 125 hectares of land. The alignment has received approval from the Union government, allowing NHAI to initiate the acquisition process for the project.
The road is being planned as an alternative route to JNPA amid delays affecting the Virar-Alibag Multimodal Corridor, which was originally expected to provide connectivity from Morbe towards the port. The multimodal corridor is being developed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
Delays to that project have also affected the remaining stretch between Raite and Morbe on Maharashtra’s section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.
Faster Route to Kalamboli and JNPA
The Maharashtra portion of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is planned between Talasari and Morbe, spanning around 156 km. Construction on approximately 140 km between Talasari and Raite is reportedly 94% complete, while the remaining 16-km section continues to face delays.
Under the earlier connectivity plan, traffic from Morbe would have reached JNPA through the Virar-Alibag corridor. NHAI has now opted to pursue a direct Morbe-Kalamboli link rather than wait for that route to be completed.
Once operational, the new highway is expected to connect with the Kalamboli junction and provide an additional route towards JNPA. NHAI officials estimate that the Morbe-Kalamboli journey could take around 15 minutes, compared with the current travel time of nearly one to 1.25 hours.
Key Milestones Ahead
The project’s progress will depend on the completion of land acquisition, followed by the tendering process and construction mobilisation.
NHAI’s immediate targets are to secure 90% of the required land by December 2026 and issue construction tenders in January 2027. The proposed link is expected to strengthen road connectivity between the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway network, Kalamboli and JNPA while providing another freight and passenger route towards one of Maharashtra’s major ports.
Source: Urban Acres
