Has the Maha Cabinet Approved the Vadhavan Port Freight Corridor Linking to Samruddhi Mahamarg?

Mumbai, Aug 5 (NationPress) The Maharashtra Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has approved the construction of a 104.899 km freight corridor linking the forthcoming Vadhavan Port with the Mumbai Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation will oversee the project's implementation. To fund this initiative, the government plans to secure a loan of Rs 1,500 crore from HUDCO. Additionally, the cabinet sanctioned a budget of Rs 2,528.9 crore for the project, with an expected completion timeframe of three years.

According to the government release, “This freight corridor aims to facilitate efficient transportation of international cargo from the Vadhavan port. Currently, the National Highway Authority of India is working on a 32 km highway from Vadhavan Port to Tawa as part of the Sagarmala Project. However, to access Vadhavan Port from Samruddhi Mahamarg, travelers must take a longer route via the Bharvir-Amane (Samruddhi Mahamarg) to the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway, resulting in an unnecessary journey of approximately 82 km. Given the anticipated high traffic volume from Vadhavan Port, this freight corridor is essential for connecting to the Samruddhi Expressway, ensuring seamless transport to Vidarbha, Marathwada, and North Maharashtra.

This expressway will traverse through Dahanu, Vikramgad, Jawhar, and Mokhada talukas in Palghar district, as well as Trimbakeshwar and Igatpuri talukas in Nashik district. The freight corridor will significantly reduce the distance from Tawa Bharveer to the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway, decreasing it to 104.899 km from 183.48 km. Travel time will also be cut down from 4 to 5 hours to just 1 to 1.5 hours,

As a result of the expedited transport facilitated by the freight corridor, small, medium, and large industries, as well as agricultural and educational entities, IT firms, and agro-industrial hubs in Palghar and Nashik districts, are expected to benefit greatly. This initiative is projected to enhance job opportunities and market access for local residents.

Previously, Fadnavis mentioned, “Given the limited coastal expansion space around Mumbai, the vision of 'Fourth Mumbai' surrounding the upcoming Vadhavan port is crucial. This area will host India’s largest port and a new airport, which has received approval from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with further surveys currently in progress. Moreover, plans are underway to extend the Bullet Train and Coastal Road to Vadhavan Port, transforming this region into a significant urban hub.”