Mumbai’s proposed ring road network is set to expand beyond the city, with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) planning two additional routes covering about 307 km. The move will take the planned ring road network from seven corridors to nine and extend the connectivity framework to Thane, Navi Mumbai and the northern suburbs.
The proposed network will not involve construction of 307 km of entirely new roads. Instead, MMRDA plans to connect existing roads with infrastructure that is under construction or still being planned. The idea is to create larger, continuous loops across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
The eighth ring road will span around 197 km, while the ninth ring road will cover nearly 110 km. Both proposed ring routes are planned as access-controlled corridors with a design speed of 80 kmph.MMRDA is targeting 2029 for both routes to become fully operational.
Eighth ring road to link Thane and Navi Mumbai
The proposed eighth ring road will create a loop connecting Sewri, Thane and Navi Mumbai. The route will start at Sewri, near the Mumbai end of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), and pass through the Eastern Freeway towards Thane.
From Thane, it will use the Anand Nagar-Saket elevated road and continue towards Navi Mumbai. The route will then connect to the Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway and NH-4B before reaching Chirle. From Chirle, the route will use the MTHL to return to Sewri and complete the loop.
The new route is expected to improve connectivity between Thane, Navi Mumbai and Bhiwandi. It will also provide better access to the JNPT area and other major development and freight hubs.
Ninth ring road to create Mumbai-Thane loop
The ninth ring road will follow a different alignment and cover around 110 km. It will start from Nariman Point and run north through Mumbai’s coastal road network towards Borivali.
The route will use major links including the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, Versova-Bandra Sea Link and the northern coastal road. From Borivali, it will move towards Thane through the proposed Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel.
The route will then continue through Thane Coastal Road 1 and the Anand Nagar-Saket elevated road before joining the Eastern Freeway extension and the existing Eastern Freeway. The proposed Orange Gate tunnel will provide the connection back towards Nariman Point.
Ring road network to bring multiple projects together
The expanded network will combine infrastructure developed by several agencies, including MMRDA, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Several projects from the earlier seven-ring plan will also become part of the wider network. These include the Sewri-Worli Connector, Orange Gate tunnel, Goregaon-Mulund Link Road and Thane-Borivali Twin Tunnel, along with existing corridors such as the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road and Santacruz-Chembur Link Road.
New routes aimed at easing long-distance traffic
The broader objective of the ring road network is to provide motorists with alternative routes around Mumbai and the wider MMR. This could help divert long-distance traffic away from congested internal roads and distribute vehicle movement across multiple corridors.
Once the required links are completed, the ninth ring road will form a broad loop covering South Mumbai, the western suburbs, Borivali, Thane and the eastern parts of Mumbai.