The six-lane Greenfield High Speed National Highway starting from JNPA Port (Pagote) to Chowk (29.219 km) in Maharashtra has been approved during the Cabinet Meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, said PIB in a statement, adding that the project will be developed on a Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) mode at a cost of Rs 4500.62 crore.
According to the press statement, “With increasing container volume in the JNPA port and the development of the Navi Mumbai International Airport, a need was identified for augmenting national highway connectivity in the region.”
The Need For Greenfield Highway
Currently, it takes 2-3 hours for vehicles to move from JNPA Port to the arterial Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) section of NH-48 and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway due to heavy congestion in urban areas like Palaspe Phata, D-Point, Kalamboli Junction, and Panvel with traffic.
Anticipating huge traffic after the operation of Navi Mumbai airport in 2025, the project is designed under PM Gatishakti National Master Plan principles to address these connectivity requirements and for improving the logistic efficiency of connecting JNPA port and Navi Mumbai International Airport.
Connectivity
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 Sahyadri are provided for ease of movement for commercial vehicles instead of a ghat section in hilly terrain, ensuring high speed and ease in movement for large container trucks.
Conclusion
The new 6-lane greenfield project corridor will lead to better port connectivity and help 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.
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