The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) in India has secured approval to develop a new access road system. The project involves constructing a 29-kilometer highway from the port to the nearest national highway intersection under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, with an estimated cost of $525 million.

An official government statement noted, "Developing road connectivity to India’s major and minor ports, in line with National Master Plan principles, is a key focus area for integrated infrastructure planning."

It added, "The growing container volume at JNPA and the development of the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport have highlighted the need to enhance national highway connectivity in the region."

Currently, freight vehicles from the port take up to three hours to reach highway networks due to severe congestion along the existing route. With rising cargo volumes, these bottlenecks are expected to worsen.

The statement explained, "The project aims to address connectivity gaps and improve logistics efficiency between JNPA and Navi Mumbai International Airport. The new six-lane greenfield corridor will ensure safer and more efficient freight movement, unlocking new pathways for growth and development in Mumbai, Pune, and surrounding regions."

The Nhava Sheva Port Complex, comprising six container terminals, handles a dominant share of India’s maritime trade. Recent weeks have seen truck turnaround delays at the terminals, sparking protests from transporters and exporters.

India’s port cargo volumes are projected to hit a record high in the 2024-25 fiscal year ending March 31, 2024. Data from April 2023 to February 2024 shows a 13.6% year-on-year surge in total throughput to 6.6 million TEUs, with annual volumes expected to exceed 7 million TEUs.

The upcoming operationalization of PSA Mumbai’s Phase II expansion, adding 2.4 million TEUs of capacity, is set to further boost cargo handling at Mumbai’s ports.