By Arosh John – Founder, John Real Estate (MahaRERA Reg. No. A51700001835) & Editor-in-Chief, Thane Real Estate News (TREN)
Thane–MMR | December 2025
INTRODUCTION
A question every Thane commuter, buyer and investor is asking:
Will Thane Coastal Road directly connect to Mumbai Coastal Road?
The technically correct answer is: no single flyover or T-junction will link them directly – instead, Thane will connect to the Mumbai Coastal Road corridor through a chain of projects via Gaimukh, Bhayander and Dahisar.
In simple terms, Thane’s integration into the coastal network will happen through four key links:
- Thane Coastal Road (Balkum–Gaimukh)
- Gaimukh–Bhayander tunnel and elevated corridor
- Dahisar–Bhayander elevated link
- Versova–Bhayander Coastal Road, which forms the northern extension of the Mumbai Coastal Road corridor
Together, these projects create an indirect but powerful Thane → Bhayander → Coastal Road → South Mumbai / Western Suburbs connection.
1. THANE COASTAL ROAD – THE NEW EAST–WEST BACKBONE INSIDE THANE
Official name:
Balkum to Gaimukh NH-3 Connector / Ghodbunder Bypass DP Road (Thane Coastal Road)
Key project parameters (as per MMRDA approvals and project documents):
- Length: ~13.45 km
- Configuration: 6-lane (3+3), 40 m wide greenfield corridor
- Start point: On the Mumbai–Nashik Highway (old NH-3, now NH-160) near the former Kharegaon toll location at Balkum
- End point: Gaimukh on Ghodbunder Road (State Highway 42)
- Design mix: Approx. 8+ km elevated viaduct and 5+ km at-grade road, including a bridge over Kalwa Creek
- Implementing agency: Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)
- Financials:
- Sanctioned project cost: approx. ₹3,364.62 crore
- Civil contract value (L1): approx. ₹2,727 crore in favour of Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd
In simple terms, the road originates on the highway carriageway near the old (now dismantled) Kharegaon toll point at Balkum, then runs westward to meet Ghodbunder Road at Gaimukh.
Functionally, this is not a typical “sea-facing coastal road”.
Instead, it is a high-speed, creekside bypass for Thane, running roughly parallel to Ghodbunder Road and designed to:
- Decongest Ghodbunder Road
- Divert long-distance and heavy traffic away from dense residential stretches
- Create a faster east–west movement between Balkum / NH-160 and Gaimukh / Ghodbunder belt
The crucial point: Thane Coastal Road ends at Gaimukh.
It does not directly touch Bhayander, Borivali or the Mumbai Coastal Road alignment. That connection comes through the next set of projects.
2. MUMBAI COASTAL ROAD – THE NARIMAN POINT TO BHAYANDER SEASIDE SPINE
On the Mumbai side, the city is building an integrated coastal express system that will ultimately form a Nariman Point–Bhayander seaside corridor.
Broadly, this system consists of:
2.1 SOUTH & CENTRAL SEGMENTS
- Coastal corridor from Marine Drive / Nariman Point to Worli, including the under-sea twin tunnel
- Integration with the Bandra–Worli Sea Link
- Northward extension towards Bandra–Versova–Dahisar through sea links and coastal legs
2.2 NORTHERN EXTENSION TOWARDS BHAYANDER
Two key projects define the northern coastal leg:
- Versova–Bhayander Coastal Road
- Planned coastal route from Versova to Bhayander
- Part of the northward extension of Mumbai’s coastal network
- Intended to provide fast connectivity between the western suburbs and Bhayander along the coastline
- Dahisar–Bhayander Elevated Road (DBLR)
- Elevated corridor linking Dahisar West (near Kandarpada / WEH side) to Bhayander West
- Officially positioned as the “final leg” or missing link in the Mumbai Coastal Road corridor on the northern side
- Described as a wide, high-speed elevated route with an execution horizon of a little over 3 years from final award
In summary, Bhayander West becomes the key northern junction of the Mumbai Coastal Road system, tying together:
- Traffic coming from Versova and Dahisar coastal stretches
- Traffic arriving from Bhayander’s eastern and hinterland links
This is precisely where Thane’s role comes in.
3. GAIMUKH–BHAYANDER LINK – THE “MISSING MIDDLE” FROM THANE TO THE COAST
To understand how Thane plugs in, you need to visualise the Gaimukh–Bhayander east–west corridor, as conceptualised by MMRDA.
As per current official concepts, DPRs and funding documents, the corridor is envisaged as:
- An underground tunnel between Gaimukh and the Fountain Hotel / Ghodbunder junction belt
- An elevated road and bridge from the Fountain area across creek/salt-pan stretches into Bhayander
Indicative features from the latest disclosed planning:
- Combined length in the 15–16 km range (tunnel + elevated)
- Tunnel section: approx. 5–5.5 km between Gaimukh and Fountain
- Elevated section: approx. 9.8–10 km between Fountain and Bhayander
- Funding requirement estimated around ₹16,500 crore in recent MMRDA expressions of interest
- Designed to:
- Provide a direct Thane–Bhayander connection
- Bypass existing Ghodbunder Road congestion
- Improve freight and passenger movement between Thane, Mira–Bhayander and the western coastal spine
However, it is very important to note:
- The route and role of this corridor are stable in official discussions.
- The tendering and contracting have seen resets and legal scrutiny.
- MMRDA has initiated re-tendering / re-structuring of packages, so the final contractor, exact final cost and commissioning date are still open items.
Because of this, any statement today about a fixed completion year or final awarded contractor would be premature. Current figures should be treated as indicative and subject to change.
Strategically, the essence is clear:
Thane Coastal Road is designed to feed traffic into the Gaimukh node.
From Gaimukh, the planned Gaimukh–Bhayander tunnel and elevated corridor will push that traffic across to Bhayander West, where it joins the Mumbai Coastal Road network.
4. STEP-BY-STEP: HOW A THANE MOTORIST REACHES MUMBAI COASTAL ROAD
Based on current official plans and sanctioned concepts, the future drive chain can be summarised like this:
- Thane City / Balkum / Majiwada → Thane Coastal Road
- Enter the Thane Coastal Road on the Mumbai–Nashik Highway (old NH-3 / now NH-160) near the former Kharegaon toll location at Balkum.
- Travel on a 6-lane, limited-access corridor towards Gaimukh, avoiding much of Ghodbunder’s surface traffic.
- Thane Coastal Road → Gaimukh Node
- The road terminates near Gaimukh on Ghodbunder Road.
- This becomes the intersection of:
- Thane Coastal Road
- Existing Ghodbunder Road
- Proposed Gaimukh–Bhayander tunnel
- Gaimukh → Fountain Hotel (Tunnel Section)
- From Gaimukh, traffic destined for Bhayander / coastal road enters the planned underground tunnel towards the Fountain Hotel vicinity.
- Fountain Hotel → Bhayander (Elevated Section)
- From the tunnel exit, vehicles move onto the elevated corridor and bridge that runs across creek and low-lying areas to reach Bhayander West.
- Bhayander West → Coastal Corridor
- At Bhayander West, traffic merges with:
- Dahisar–Bhayander Elevated Road, and
- Versova–Bhayander Coastal Road,
which are both part of the Mumbai Coastal Road north extension.
- At Bhayander West, traffic merges with:
- Along Mumbai Coastal Road → Western Suburbs / South Mumbai
- From here, motorists can head:
- South towards Dahisar / Borivali / Andheri / Versova, and
- Further onwards via the sea links and southern coastal legs towards Worli, Marine Drive and Nariman Point (as and when respective phases are operational).
- From here, motorists can head:
In reality, Thane’s access to Mumbai Coastal Road is a multi-link network – not a single junction where “Thane Coastal meets Mumbai Coastal”.
5. WHAT IS CONFIRMED VS WHAT IS STILL EVOLVING
For buyers, investors and lenders, it is important to separate firm approvals from moving pieces.
5.1 RELATIVELY FIRM, OFFICIALLY ANCHORED
- Thane Coastal Road (Balkum–Gaimukh):
- Formally approved by MMRDA.
- Scope, length, configuration and contractor selection are in the public domain.
- Dahisar–Bhayander Elevated Road:
- BMC has issued PMC / project tenders.
- Described as part of the northern link of the Mumbai Coastal Road corridor.
- Versova–Bhayander Coastal Road:
- Has gone through key regulatory clearances (coastal and environmental stages).
- Recognised as the northern extension of the city’s coastal network.
5.2 EVOLVING BUT DIRECTIONALLY CLEAR
- Gaimukh–Bhayander Tunnel + Elevated Corridor:
- Conceptual alignment, broad length and Thane–Bhayander objective are consistent in official discussions.
- Tenders have seen restructuring and re-bids under court scrutiny.
- Commissioning timelines could shift as financing, packaging and contractors are finalised.
For communication, advisory or marketing, it is safest to phrase it like this:
“Thane Coastal Road is designed to feed into the future Gaimukh–Bhayander tunnel and elevated corridor, which in turn will connect at Bhayander to the Dahisar–Bhayander and Versova–Bhayander coastal links, forming Thane’s indirect connection to the Mumbai Coastal Road corridor.”
6. STRATEGIC IMPACT ON THANE & GHODBUNDER MICRO-MARKETS
From a real estate perspective, the Thane–coastal integration does three big things.
6.1 GAIMUKH BECOMES A HIGH-VALUE JUNCTION
Gaimukh is set to transform from a regular Ghodbunder junction into a major infrastructure node, where:
- Thane Coastal Road
- Ghodbunder Road
- Gaimukh–Bhayander tunnel
intersect within a few kilometres.
Combined with Metro Line 4/4A, the Eastern Express Highway and other upcoming links, this dramatically strengthens the investment case for:
- Gaimukh
- Kasarvadavali
- Kavesar
- Waghbil and adjacent belts
Projects offering better access to this node stand to benefit as the corridor progresses.
6.2 THANE’S TRAVEL TIME TO WESTERN SUBURBS COMPRESSES
Currently, many Thane–to–Andheri/Borivali commutes rely on:
- Eastern Express Highway → SCLR / JVLR → Western Express Highway, or
- Ghodbunder Road → Western Express Highway
Both are heavily congestion-prone.
Once the Thane–Gaimukh–Bhayander–Coastal chain is in place, a new pattern emerges:
- Thane → Thane Coastal Road → Gaimukh → Bhayander → Mumbai Coastal Road
This offers:
- A parallel, high-speed path to western suburbs and south Mumbai
- Reduced pressure on traditional east–west connectors
- Greater network redundancy during blocks, accidents or monsoon disruptions
For long-term investors, alternative corridors matter as much as the “shortest path” on Google Maps.
6.3 RE-RATING OF CREEK-FACING & LOGISTICS BELTS
By stitching together the Thane Creek and Vasai Creek regions, this ecosystem:
- Improves access for logistics and warehousing hubs along Ghodbunder and Bhiwandi belts
- Enhances viability of hospitality, commercial and mixed-use developments along the influence zone
- Increases the premium for residential assets that combine:
- City connectivity (Thane / MMR core)
- Coastal network access (Bhayander / western suburbs)
As execution progresses, land parcels that were earlier considered “edge locations” may see a structural re-rating once travel times compress and perception shifts from “remote” to “well-connected”.
Also Read: Thane Coastal Road Ghodbunder Road Benefits: How It Will Decongest & Transform Thane
7. WHEN COULD THIS ENTIRE CHAIN BE FULLY MOTORABLE?
Because we are dealing with multiple large projects under different agencies, no single authority has officially committed to a “everything is ready by year X” date. Giving one would be speculative.
A more honest, indicative framing is:
- Thane Coastal Road (Balkum–Gaimukh):
- With contracts cleared and typical execution cycles of 4–5 years from full mobilisation, a late-2020s to around 2030 window is a reasonable working assumption, subject to clearances and on-ground challenges.
- Mumbai Coastal Road – South & Central:
- Core Marine Drive–Worli–Bandra legs are in advanced stages / partly operational and should stabilise within the current decade.
- Dahisar–Bhayander Elevated Road & Versova–Bhayander Coastal Road:
- Currently in PMC / DPR / advanced approval and pre-construction phases.
- Considering land, clearances and 4–6 years of construction, an early–to–mid 2030s horizon for full continuity to Bhayander is realistic.
- Gaimukh–Bhayander Tunnel + Elevated Corridor:
- Under re-tendering and legal/financial restructuring.
- Once contracts are in place, a complex project of this kind is likely to need 5–7 years from true start, again pointing to the early–to–mid 2030s.
A fair, investor-safe summary is:
If current approvals hold and execution progresses broadly on schedule, a realistic window for Thane to enjoy a continuous, largely signal-free chain from Balkum to the Mumbai Coastal Road corridor at Bhayander is the early–to–mid 2030s. This is an indicative planning horizon, not a formal government deadline.
8. SUMMARY: THINK OF IT AS A NETWORK, NOT A SINGLE FLYOVER
To summarise in one clean, investor-safe line:
Thane Coastal Road will not directly merge into Mumbai Coastal Road at a single junction.
Instead, it will carry traffic from Balkum to Gaimukh, where the planned Gaimukh–Bhayander tunnel and elevated corridor will connect Thane to Bhayander.
From Bhayander, the Dahisar–Bhayander and Versova–Bhayander links will plug this traffic into the broader Mumbai Coastal Road corridor from Nariman Point to Bhayander.
For Thane homebuyers and investors, the key takeaway is this:
You are not just buying into a city with good expressway access today – you are buying into a future multi-corridor hub that will talk to both the eastern and western sides of Mumbai through a sophisticated, layered road and coastal network.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Arosh John is the Founder of John Real Estate (MahaRERA Reg. No. A51700001835) and Editor-in-Chief of Thane Real Estate News (TREN). Since 2014, he has worked exclusively in the Thane–MMR residential market, specialising in villas, premium resale apartments and NRI advisory across Ghodbunder Road, Majiwada, Kolshet, Balkum and emerging growth corridors. Combining on-ground transaction experience with a deep focus on infrastructure, MahaRERA compliance, and legal–documentation frameworks, Arosh is widely regarded as one of Thane’s leading real estate consultants and a trusted voice on policy, projects and micro-market dynamics. Through TREN, he aims to build a factual, research-backed knowledge hub for homebuyers, investors and industry professionals.
DISCLAIMER
This article is based on information available from official and publicly accessible sources (MMRDA, BMC, government notifications, expressions of interest, tenders and reputed infrastructure trackers) as on the date of publication. While due care has been taken to ensure accuracy, project alignments, costs, contractors, phasing and timelines are subject to change by the concerned authorities without prior notice. This content is for general information and educational purposes only and should not be treated as legal, financial or investment advice. Readers are advised to verify details independently and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions. Thane Real Estate News (TREN) and the author shall not be liable for any loss or consequence arising from reliance on this information.
