India is looking to develop its first offshore airport near Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, as part of Central government’s plans to revamp country’s infrastructure, Bloomberg said in a report.
The report further said that the new airport will come up on an artificial island near the Vadhvan seaport on the country’s west coast, approximately 125 km away from the current international airport.
The project will be similar to Hong Kong International Airport and Osaka’s Kansai International Airport, both of which are also built on man-made islands, the report said citing people aware of the development.
The plan received initial clearance from the Union environment and defence ministries along with the Maharashtra government in a meeting held last month, the report said.
Authorities will soon start the feasibility studies with the assistance of Airports Authority of India following which which an estimated investment figure will emerge, the report added.
This new project joins a string of infrastructure projects lined up in Mumbai and Maharashtra as part of the Central government ambitious plans.
Across India, there’s a spate of road, airport or power facilities under construction, as Asia’s third-largest economy spends billions to overcome the world’s second-largest shortfall in infrastructure after Brazil.
The Vadhvan airport, which will upon completion become the third airport in the state, will be connected by the proposed Mumba-Ahmedabad bullet train and two crucial highways, Mumbai-New Delhi and Mumbai-Vadodara, providing easy access to commuters.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), India’s richest civic body, gave its approval for the development of “Mumbai Eye”, to be built on the lines of the iconic London Eye.
The Maharashtra government has also planned a fully underground metro system, an international cruise terminal, a 701-km greenfield road project connecting Mumbai and Nagpur.
Last year in January, the government had opened the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, a 21.8 km 6-lane expressway, which is the country's longest sea bridge, connecting South Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.
With agency inputs
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