Kalamboli junction set for transformation with 5 roads, 7 flyovers, 2 underpasses

(Soil testing begins to enable start of construction expected to be completed in 3 years)

NAVI MUMBAI: The perennially busy five-arm Kalamboli junction on the Sion-Panvel highway, that connects national highways 48 and 548 and state highways, is set for a complete transformation. Soil testing to determine the type of foundation required and the load-bearing capacity for the two-level interchange project has begun. With the Navi Mumbai International Airport set to take off by May, the development of the strategically located Kalamboli junction has become a priority to ensure smooth connectivity, ease traffic, and curb pollution in the area.

The two-level interchange project, expected to cost ₹482 crore, encompasses five roads of 5 km each, seven flyovers of 3 km, and two signal-free underpasses that will ensure seamless traffic. Work on two underpasses, to connect Panvel to Mumbra road via Shilphata and to reach the steel market, will soon begin. Both underpasses will be new constructions.

Kalamboli Circle witnesses heavy traffic jams throughout the day, with vehicles converging from all directions, including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Dombivli, Pune, Goa, Panvel and Uran. The presence of heavy container vehicles travelling to and from JNPA makes it worse. While time, fuel and money are wasted, it also leads to severe pollution issues in the region.

The Kalamboli junction in Panvel area is an important link to the upcoming airport. The junction on the Sion-Panvel highway connects to JNPA, Kalamboli Steel Market, Shilphata, Mumbai-Pune expressway, the old Mumbai-Pune highway that passes through Panvel, and also the national highway connecting to JNPA. Traffic from here flows to and fro Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Uran, Thane, Dombivli, Mumbra, Goa and Konkan area.

Once the upgradation work is completed, traffic is expected to run smoothly on the routes due to the interchanges, work on which is expected to be completed in three years. The interchange has been designed by the National Highway Authority of India with the Ministry of road transport and highways of Government of India handing over the project to Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC), which has also provided funding for the project.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari had in 2023 at a public meeting in Panvel assured he would act to provide relief from the ‘nightmare’ at the junction. He followed it up with his ministry approving ₹770.49 crore to upgrade the Kalamboli Junction infrastructure in October last year.

Gadkari had commented about it on X, too, around that time: “The critical infrastructure project spans 15.53 km. The upgraded Kalamboli Junction will ensure seamless connectivity to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust from the major highways. A two-level interchange, incorporating a directional/stack system, will facilitate signal-free traffic flow. This design will eliminate cross-conflict at grade, significantly reducing queuing delays for traffic from all routes.”