NHAI awards ₹2,360 crore expressway link to Vadhavan Port

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has awarded a contract for the construction of a four-lane expressway connecting Vadhavan Port to Tava Village on NH-48 in Maharashtra. The project, valued at ₹2,360 crore, has been awarded to a joint venture between J. Kumar Infraprojects and Shinde Developers under the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode. The expressway will link the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway (NE4) with NH-48, enabling seamless port connectivity to various regions in the state.

The project involves the construction of a 32.1 km-long access-controlled expressway, including an 800-metre-long twin tube tunnel. It will also comprise two major bridges, one twin tube tunnel, two interchanges, 33 minor bridges, six flyovers, 84 culverts, one railway overbridge, seven vehicular underpasses (VUPs), 24 light vehicular underpasses (LVUPs), four small vehicular underpasses (SVUPs), and two wayside amenities. The four-lane expressway is designed to be expandable to eight lanes in the future.

Vadhavan Port is planned to be developed as a major port with a proposed container handling capacity of 23.2 million TEUs. The port will have a natural draft of 20 metres and will be developed in two phases. The first phase, with a container handling capacity of 15 million TEUs, is expected to be operational by 2030.

Once completed, the access-controlled expressway is expected to enhance regional connectivity, reduce logistics costs, and support long-term economic growth while providing faster access to the port.