J Kumar Infra’s ₹2,360 Cr Road to Vadhvan Port

J Kumar Infraprojects is set to secure a ₹2,360 crore engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the development of a 32.18-km, four-lane expressway—expandable to eight lanes—linking Tawa village on NH-48 to the upcoming Vadhvan Port in Maharashtra. The development follows the recent completion of land acquisition for the project.

According to sources, J Kumar Infraprojects emerged as the lowest bidder, quoting 6.67% below NHAI’s estimated project cost of ₹2,528.76 crore, providing a significant boost to the port connectivity initiative.

The project was initially planned under the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) toll model but was later shifted to the EPC mode due to low anticipated traffic in the early years, as the expressway is expected to become operational before the port is fully functional.

While approving the Vadhvan Port project on June 19, 2024, the Union Cabinet delegated the authority to determine the execution model for the road link to the Ministries of Road Transport and Finance, based on recommendations from the Public Investment Board and the Public-Private Partnership Appraisal Committee.

During a meeting held on December 9, 2024, chaired by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, officials concluded that the BOT (Toll) model may not be viable in the initial phase, given limited traffic until the port’s first phase becomes operational around 2029–30.

The expressway will initially be developed as a four-lane corridor, with provisions for future expansion to eight lanes. However, all major structures—including bridges and tunnels—will be constructed to eight-lane specifications from the outset to ensure long-term scalability.

Once traffic volumes increase with the port’s development, the project is expected to be monetised under the Toll, Operate and Transfer (TOT) model, as per official discussions.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.