The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will construct the Rs 28.81 billion road link to the planned Vadhvan port in Maharashtra on the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode which will be monetised later through the toll-operate and transfer (TOT) route when the traffic volumes build up after the port becomes operational. The meeting agreed that the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Toll model “may not be feasible” for the 32 km long, 8-lane highway stretch from NH 48 and Delhi-Mumbai Expressway to the planned Vadhvan port as the traffic flow would be low in the initial stages, particularly when the highway will become operational before the new port starts operations. There will be no traffic till the first phase of the port starts operations in 2029-30. “But, once the traffic flow builds up with the development of the port, the toll revenues can be monetised through the TOT (model),” an official briefed on the meeting said, asking not to be named. “NHAI will submit the proposal for approval of the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, to take up the project on EPC mode,” the official said. The meeting was informed that the land acquisition for the road and rail links to Vadhvan port is expected to be completed by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority by March 2025. NHAI was directed to ensure that the EPC contract for the highway project was awarded before March 2025. The work on the highway connectivity to Vadhvan port is expected to start in May 2025. “This is a big boost to the Vadhvan port project,” said Unmesh wagh, Chairman, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, which is helming the new port project. “Now, the road link to the new port project will be ready in a year and facilitate the construction of the port apart from reducing time and cost,” he stated, adding that “everything is falling in place at a fast pace” for building the new port. The project received a further impetus with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance retaining power in the recently concluded assembly polls in Maharashtra. Gadkari, according to the official, directed that the proposal for approval of the highway alignment and the Network Planning Group (NPG) should be submitted in a fortnight. Besides, with the traffic on the road link solely dependent on the progress of the port work, it was decided to construct a 4-lane road initially which will be widened to 8-lanes after the first phase of the port starts operations, for optimum utilisation of resources. “This will avoid creating over capacity before requirements. However, it was decided that all the structures, bridges and the tunnel should be constructed as per 8-lane configuration initially,” the official stated. During the meeting, Gadkari opined that the development of the port will happen at a rapid pace as it will be the largest deep-water port in the country. With the port traffic expected to rise manifold after 10-15 years of operations, road widening beyond 8-lanes may also be required. Keeping this in view, it was suggested that the configuration of the tunnel to accommodate more lanes should be taken up right from the beginning itself as the tunnel cannot be widened at a later stage. Hence, it was decided that the configuration of the tunnel for the Vadhvan port link road will follow the method adopted for the Vadodara Mumbai Expressway project which is being constructed as an 8-lane highway with provision for widening to 12-lanes, including a 4-km long twin tunnel.