Navi Mumbai Advances Sanpada Underpass Project to Alleviate Traffic Congestion

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is undertaking the construction of a planned underpass at Sector 19 in Sanpada along Palm Beach Road to address traffic congestion and improve connectivity for residents travelling in and out of the Sanpada and Juinagar areas.

The proposed underpass, located near the Kesar Solitaire building on Palm Beach Road, has been planned as an alternative access route for vehicles entering and exiting the Sanpada node. The civic body stated that the project is currently under progress and is intended to improve traffic movement while maintaining environmental safeguards.

At present, the Sanpada node has a single access point from Palm Beach Road near Moraj Circle. With rising population levels and a growing number of vehicles in Navi Mumbai, the existing access route has increasingly come under pressure, leading to concerns over traffic congestion.

Civic officials indicated that traffic demand in the area is expected to increase further due to several infrastructure developments in the region. These include the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, expansion of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and the development of the proposed Third Mumbai urban region. Authorities stated that these projects are likely to generate additional vehicular movement along Palm Beach Road.

The proposed underpass has therefore been recommended following traffic assessments and technical consultations to facilitate smoother movement of vehicles travelling towards Belapur and Uran as well as those heading towards Vashi and Mumbai.

As part of the project planning process, the municipal corporation conducted an assessment of trees located within the development area. A total of 808 trees were identified within the project site.

According to NMMC, 368 trees will be preserved at their existing locations without any disturbance. Of the remaining trees affected by the project, 329 will be transplanted within the same locality using scientific transplantation techniques. The species identified for transplantation include mango, tamarind, gooseberry, jamun, ramphal, putranjiva, and gulmohar.

A total of 111 trees are proposed to be removed as part of the project implementation. Officials indicated that 92 of these trees belong to the subabul species, which tree experts consider to have relatively limited ecological value compared with native species.

Before initiating the tree-related work, the municipal corporation issued a public notice through the Tree Authority inviting objections from residents. The authority received 47 objections, following which hearings were conducted by the Tree Officer at the Turbhe office.

Eleven residents attended the hearings and their views were recorded by officials. The civic body stated that some individuals who were listed as objectors later indicated that they had not submitted any objections or related correspondence, creating uncertainty regarding certain submissions.

According to NMMC, the Sanpada underpass project is intended to reduce travel time and fuel consumption by improving traffic flow in the area. The municipal corporation stated that efforts are being made to balance infrastructure development with environmental conservation by maximising tree preservation and transplantation within the project area.