Maharashtra Greenlights INR 18,130 Crore Metro 5A and Major Expressway Projects

The Maharashtra government has approved the development of Mumbai Metro Line 5A (Phases I and II) with an estimated cost of INR 18,130.55 crore, as part of a broader set of infrastructure decisions aimed at strengthening urban connectivity and regional transport networks.

The approvals were granted in the past week at a meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Infrastructure Development held at Mantralaya, attended by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other senior ministers and officials.

The Metro Line 5A corridor will span 34.21 km and include 19 stations, connecting Kapurbawdi to Durgadi via Bhiwandi and Kalyan. Phase I of the project will run from Kapurbawdi to Dhamankar Naka in Bhiwandi, while Phase II will extend from Dhamankar Naka to Durgadi. The extended alignment is expected to link key urban centres including Kalyan and Ulhasnagar, improving last-mile connectivity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The state government indicated that the project is expected to benefit around 69 lakh residents across Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, and Ulhasnagar, while reducing travel time by an estimated 40% to 50%. The corridor is aimed at addressing congestion and improving mobility across rapidly urbanising suburban regions.

In addition to the metro project, the government has approved borrowing through the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) to support land acquisition for three major expressway projects in the Vidarbha region. These include the Nagpur–Gondia, Bhandara–Gadchiroli, and Nagpur–Chandrapur corridors.

The Nagpur–Gondia expressway, with a proposed length of 162.57 km, has an estimated project cost of INR 19,582.19 crore, with INR 3,162.18 crore approved for land acquisition. For the 94.241-km Bhandara–Gadchiroli expressway, INR 931.15 crore has been cleared for land acquisition, while INR 2,353.94 crore has been approved for land acquisition for the 204.799-km Nagpur–Chandrapur corridor.

The government has directed officials to establish timelines for the completion of these expressways, targeting execution within six years. These projects are expected to improve regional connectivity and support industrial development across Vidarbha.

Separately, the state has approved INR 1,063 crore for Phase II infrastructure works related to the Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela scheduled in 2027. The approved works include development of parking facilities, water supply systems, electricity infrastructure, healthcare services, solid waste management systems, and a centralised control mechanism.

The set of approvals reflects the state’s focus on integrated infrastructure development across urban transport, regional connectivity, and event-based infrastructure planning. The combination of metro expansion, expressway development, and public infrastructure upgrades is expected to support both mobility and economic activity across key regions of Maharashtra.