MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday conducted an infrastructure inspection and review tour of Palghar district to gauge the progress of projects such as Vadhavan Port, the proposed offshore airport (the first one in the country), the Delhi-Mumbai expressway, the bullet train and the dedicated freight corridor.CM takes stock of infra projects in Palghar, the “growth engine of the state”Speaking to the media, the CM said that the Palghar district was “the growth engine of the state”. “I have seen the airport site and asked for the ₹58,754.51-crore, six-lane Uttan-Virar sea link to be extended by five kilometres to the proposed offshore airport so that there is direct connectivity from Mumbai,” he said. “The pre-feasibility study shows that the airport is possible. I have asked the Maharashtra Airport Development Company to prepare a detailed project report.”Fadnavis said that by 2050, Mumbai’s two airports would reach their peak. “Hence this airport is important, and we will seek speedy clearance for it,” he said. “Land acquisition will be done only by taking people into confidence.” At present, locals are opposing the government’s move to take their land for the Varor-Tawa highway connecting NH 48 and Vadhavan Port.Fadnavis also reviewed the progress of the Vadodara-Mumbai section of the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Being developed by the central government at an estimated cost of nearly ₹1 lakh crore, the approximately 1,400-kilometre, eight-lane greenfield expressway will connect Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Once completed, it will substantially reduce travel time between Delhi and Mumbai.Highlighting the project’s strategic importance, Fadnavis said the expressway would provide direct connectivity to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), enabling faster, more efficient and cost-effective transportation of cargo from North India to the country’s largest container port.The Maharashtra portion of the Vadodara-Mumbai section, which spans approximately 157 kilometres and is being developed at a cost of around ₹24,000 crore, is mostly ready and expected to be completed by August 2026. Fadnavis said the stretch would be opened to traffic by August 31. It will reduce travel time between Vadodara and Mumbai from nearly eight hours to about four hours, and is also expected to significantly improve freight movement to JNPA by reducing the delays currently caused by traffic congestion on the Thane-Bhiwandi-Ghodbunder route.While inspecting the proposed Vadhavan Port project at Chinchani beach, Fadnavis conducted a detailed review of internal road networks, forest clearances, electricity supply, railway connectivity, land acquisition, water supply, skill development, and compensation-related work for fishermen. This ₹76,220-crore greenfield port will be constructed over an area of 1,448 hectares and is planned to be completed within the next 60 months. With the capacity to handle advanced “next-generation” vessels, it is expected to become one of India’s largest deep-sea ports.Fadnavis also reviewed the progress of the Naringi Creek Bridge being developed by MMRDA. This 4.10-kilometre bridge, estimated to cost around ₹850 crore, will establish direct connectivity between Vasai-Virar and the cities of Saphale, Palghar, and Boisar, reducing travel distance by approximately 40 kilometres and travel time by 45 minutes.