The Union Cabinet has approved the construction of a 32-kilometre road connecting the proposed Wadhwan Port in Maharashtra's Palghar district to National Highway 48, according to an announcement made by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) on Tuesday.
The JNPA, which is overseeing the development of Vadhvan Port, stated that the National Highways Authority of India’s Land Acquisition Committee (NHAI-LAC) has approved the road connectivity plan from NH-48 to the port. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has been authorised to make the necessary decisions regarding the project.
Following the declaration of the road as a national highway by the ministry, the land acquisition process will commence. A government gazette notification issued on August 12 has already declared the stretch from NH-48 (Tawa Junction) to Vadhvan Port as a national highway.
Commenting on the approval, JNPA Chairman Unmesh Sharad Wagh said, “The construction of the road is a critical activity necessary to initiate the work at Vadhvan Port. It is essential for transporting quarry material from the sites to the port, as local roads are too narrow for such heavy transportation. The declaration by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to designate this road as a National Highway will expedite the process significantly.”
Once the NHAI issues the official notification, the land acquisition process will begin immediately. In addition, the NHAI will invite tenders for constructing an initial two-lane road, approximately 20 kilometres long, to facilitate material transport. This road will be part of the dedicated connectivity to Vadhvan Port, with plans to extend it as needed to ensure full road connectivity to the port.
The Vadhvan Port project, which received Union Cabinet approval in June 2024, is moving forward rapidly. The JNPA has already invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) for developing and maintaining land to be created offshore of the Vadhvan coast through dredging, reclamation, and the construction of an offshore protection bund. The project has garnered interest from several leading organisations, underscoring its significance in enhancing India's maritime infrastructure.
