Cabinet approves 6-lane highway project connecting JNPT at Rs 4,500 crore

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the construction of a 6-lane access-controlled greenfield high-speed National Highway to connect JNPA Port (Pagote) with Chowk (29.219 km) in Maharashtra at an investment of Rs 4,500 crore. 

According to an official statement, the project will be developed on build, operate and transfer (BOT) mode at a total cost of Rs 4,500.62 crore. 

"The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of 6-lane access controlled Greenfield High-Speed National Highway starting from JNPA Port (Pagote) to Chowk (29.219 km) in Maharashtra," it said. 

The development of road connecting infrastructure to major and minor ports in India is one of the main focus areas of integrated infrastructure planning under PM Gatishakti National Master Plan principles, it added. 

"With the increasing container volume at JNPA port and the development of the Navi Mumbai International Airport, a need was identified for augmenting National highway connectivity in the region," the statement said. 

Currently, it takes 2-3 hours for vehicles to move from JNPA Port to the arterial Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) section of NH-48 and Mumbai–Pune Expressway due to heavy congestion in urban areas like Palaspe Phata, D-Point, Kalamboli junction, and Panvel.

After the operationalisation of Navi Mumbai Airport in 2025, the need for direct connectivity is expected to increase further. 

Accordingly, the statement said, this project is designed to address these connectivity requirements and to improve the logistic efficiency of connecting JNPA port and Navi Mumbai International Airport. 

The project alignment starts at JNPA port (NH 348) (Pagote village) and ends at Mumbai-Pune Highway (NH-48) while also linking Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Mumbai-Goa National Highway (NH-66). 

Two tunnels passing through Sahayadri are provided for ease of movement for commercial vehicles instead of a ghat section in hilly terrain, ensuring high speed and ease of movement for large container trucks. 

The new 6-lane green field project corridor will lead to better port connectivity helping in safe and efficient freight movement. The project will open new avenues of growth, development and prosperity in developing regions in and around Mumbai and Pune.