The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to construct a vital road link to the proposed Vadhvan port in Maharashtra, with an estimated cost of Rs 2,881 crore. The project will be executed using the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) model, a move aimed at ensuring efficiency and timely completion.
The NHAI is expected to submit the proposal for the project to the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, for approval. The project will include both road and rail connectivity to the Vadhvan port, which is part of a major infrastructure development in the region.
Land acquisition for the road and rail links is on track to be completed by March 2025, with highway construction expected to begin in May 2025. The project will feature a 32-km long, eight-lane highway that will connect NH-48 and the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway to the Vadhvan port. During a meeting on December 9, 2024, chaired by Nitin Gadkari, it was concluded that the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Toll model would not be feasible for this stretch initially, as traffic volumes would be low in the early stages. Instead, the toll-operate-transfer (TOT) model will be adopted once the traffic builds up following the operationalization of the port. This project is expected to enhance regional connectivity and provide a significant boost to the port’s operations when it becomes functional.